Lesson 2.4: Experiences of Estrangement
This quote is taken from one of the Stand Alone Charity’s research papers. You can see the impact estrangement has had on this person and this is a shared experience for many estranged students. Given the proportion of students who become estranged around the age of 16-19 we need to consider how we and our organisation can start to support estranged students so they don’t feel as exhausted and alone.
There are many young people who find becoming estranged an empowering point in their lives. Above are some quotes from a 2020 study of ‘Student Estrangement in Higher Education’ suggesting that the experience can be a positive path for young people to help them develop into who they are and want to become. We must remember as practitioners that there are many reasons for estrangement and each person will experience the process differently. We shouldn’t assume that estrangement is always a negative experience for the person.
Estranged students commonly report an increase in self-reliance, independence, motivation and resilience and a willingness to work hard. Many of these qualities help people to thrive at university and within work. However, these aren’t necessarily the first things you would think of when thinking about estrangement.
Around 80% felt there had been some positive outcomes from their experiences of estrangement such as greater feelings of freedom and independence
68% agreed or strongly agreed that there was a stigma around family estrangement
90% found the holiday periods and key dates challenging i.e. religious holidays, mother’s day, father’s day, exam results and graduations.
These statistics are taken from the Stand Alone ‘Hidden Voices’ research study.
We want to support young people to develop into strong, independent, happy adults who can be successful students. As the quotes and statistics have shown estrangement can be the best positive outcome for the young person and their situation. Additionally, many estranged students report the benefits of estrangement.
Quotes: Student Estrangement in Higher Education: Identity Formation and The Struggle Against Stigma: Cristina Costa ORCID Icon, Yvette Taylor, Claire Goodfellow ORCID Icon & Sidonie Ecochard (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01425692.2020.1770575?cookieSet=1, https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2020.1770575)