Family Counselling in Family Court: An Analysis of Psycho-social Dynamics of Families of Litigants (Thrissur Family Court)
Lizy
James*
In Kerala, tremendous changes have taken place in the social milieu during the past two to three decades. The inflow of Gulf money has totally changed the life style of its people. Even this small State is not free from the consequences of globalisation. Foreign mass media have seriously affected the value system of our youth. The surge of nuclear families has weakened the social support system. People of Kerala have become the victims of consumerism. Cultural breakdown has given rise to growth of suicides, criminality, alcoholism, and other types of deviant behaviour. Child prostitution and trafficking in the girl child has become very common in Kerala.
One
of the important social institutions, the family, has lost its sanctity. The
number of broken homes and cases of divorce increase in tandem with the pace of
social change. Because of gender sensitisation and increased awareness, women
have started to respond to atrocities against them. It is observed that the
number of cases filed by women before the family courts have increased in recent
years. Since the inception of Family Court in Thrissur, in 1994, 3816 cases have
been filed until the month of August 1998. This fact calls for increased
attention of mental health professionals and social workers to their role of
preserving the sanctity of families.
The
present study is based on the experience of the counsellor in the family court
Thrissur. It throws light on the psycho-social dynamics involved in the families
that seek service of the counselling centre of the family court.
In
Kerala, there are five family courts, one each in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam,
Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Kottayam. In all the five centres, marriage counsellors
work with dedication and social commitment.
The
aim of the current investigation is to study the psychosocial dynamics in the
families of the couples who seek assistance from the counselling centre in
Thrissur Family Court.
The
following are the objectives of the study:
(i)
to study the socio-demographic details
of the petitioner and the respondent;
(ii)
to understand the family details of the
petitioner and the respondent;
(iii)
to assess the marital details of the
parties;
(iv)
to study the family dynamics involved
in the problem; and
(v)
to
analyse the problem presented by the petitioner and the respondent.
The
present study drives home the fact that incidence of marital breakdowns in
Kerala is on the increase in recent years. Not only are the couples affected
adversely by marital breakdown, the other members of the family especially the
children as well undergo severe traumatic experience. The major reasons for
marital breakdown include physical and mental cruelty, extra-marital
relationship, alcoholism, mental illness, suspicion, mental retardation, and
suicidal attempts. These indicate the state of mental sickness of our young
married people, especially those who experience marital discord.
In the light of
our findings, we propose an action programme that comprises both remedial and
preventive action.
Curative Programmes
(i) Families that
experience marital discord should be provided with counselling facilities and
other mental health promotion programmes by mental health professionals such as
psychiatrist, psychologists, and psychiatric social workers.
(ii) Since alcoholism is a major
reason for physical and mental cruelty leading to marital discord, steps are
necessary for discouraging alcohol consumption by the public and de-addiction of
alcoholics.
(iii)
Panchayati Raj Institutions should identify individuals and families with
marital problems, and refer them to the mental health professionals, who will be
able to help them out.
(iv) Panchayati Raj Institutions may
form marriage-counselling cells with adequate mental health professionals, so
that individuals and families would be able to approach them for counselling
services.
Pre-marital
courses may be arranged for adolescents and youth of marriageable age by
religious institutions, non-governmental organisations, and Panchayati Raj
institutions as part of the people’s development programmes.
(i) The schools and
colleges should provide adequate, scientific, and value-based knowledge to the
students on marriage, sexuality, and responsible parenthood.
(ii) Interested teachers of
schools and colleges should be identified and they should be provided with
scientific knowledge and skills in providing mental health promotion counselling
through different training programmes.
(iii) Training programmes / seminars /
workshops should be arranged by Panchayati Raj and other institutions for
couples regarding family life, parenting skills, and stress management.
(iv) Ayalkoottoms formed in each
panchayat should identify and refer individuals and families with mental health
problems to the mental health professionals.
(v) Self help / support groups
may be formed for individuals going through the process of matrimonial
litigations, together with those who have already obtained divorce. These groups
should help sharing experiences and feelings for them to become mutually
supportive, to share information about legal provisions and procedures, and to
develop skills to cope with the crisis of marriage breakdown. Such self-help
groups may be formed separately for women, men, and for children of divorced
couples.
* Lizzy James is Head of the Department of
Social Work, Vimala College, Thrissur.