Psychological and Social Effects on the Families of Divorced Underage Females “A Study on a Sample of Families of Divorced Underage in Jordan”

Abstract

The study set out to examine the psychological and social impact of underage divorce on families of underage divorced girls in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. A total of 204 participants who were the members of families of underage divorced females were used as the study sample, with their selection being carried out using a simple random sampling technique. To gather the information, the researcher designed a specialized questionnaire that assessed both psychological and social consequences. The questionnaire was validated by a team of experts and checked for reliability using Cronbach's alpha (alpha = 0.834 of the total scale).The methodology employed in the study was descriptive and analytical, and statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software to compute means, standard deviations, Pearson correlation coefficients, t-tests, and ANOVA.The findings indicated that the average psychological effect was 3.667 and the average social effect was 4.388, which means that social effects were more severe than psychological ones. A statistically significant correlation was found between psychological effects and the overall level of family burden (r = 0.817, p < 0.001). In contrast, the social effects demonstrated a moderate but significant correlation (r = 0.487, p < 0.001).Furthermore, psychological and social effects were significantly different in relation to place of residence, number of family members, income level, and custodial status. Families in rural regions, with low income, having more people at home, and those taking care of the divorced girl had much distress (p < 0.05).The study determined that there are profound and quantifiable psychological and social impacts of underage divorce on families, necessitating specific social and mental health interventions.