Page 13 | BBC news using the phrase "broken home"

IsitaHatOrACat · 2025-05-14T03:35:41+00:00

Really? Really? Whilst I'm not overly interested to know about this man's drug fuelled years, the description of him coming from a "broken home" has infuriated me. As a single parent to a 15 year old, I can confirm that there us nothing whatsoever "broken" about our home or small family. I really thought we had moved on from this type of shaming of single parent families Seriously BBC, do better. BBC News - Heavy hangs the crown - sadness at Wiggins' troubles https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/articles/c23mv42m2lmo

Neurodiversitydoctor · 14/05/2025 05:35

Sunnysideup32 · 14/05/2025 04:58

My kids would've come from a 'broken home" if I'd have stayed with their dad, as they would've witnessed him being abusive to me.
As it is, I left him and bought them both up on my own when only toddlers and babies, and they've grown into amazing adults. Both are loving, caring and are a real credit to me,
They've both done extremely well with degrees and good jobs, and are law abiding citizens, one being a special constable too.

I hate the stigma surrounding single parents (usually Mums), especially when I see so many youngsters getting into trouble and/or taking drugs when they come from a home with both parents raising them.

But statistically being brought up in a,single parent house hold is a huge risk factor for all sorts of things. The evidence is in to try to argue otherwise is disingenuous.

Original poster

IsitaHatOrACat · 14/05/2025 05:34

frozendaisy · 14/05/2025 05:02

But it probably is a perfectly accurate description for the article. This report is on a particular person not an opinion piece on single parent households.

Journalists aren’t going to stop, or shouldn’t, stop using applicable language because it winds someone up or they take personal offence over something out of context.

How is "broken home" applicable language??! It's not. How can a home or family be "broken". It's highly loaded phrase perpetuating stigma.

OP posts:

DreamTheMoors · 14/05/2025 05:31

frozendaisy · 14/05/2025 05:02

But it probably is a perfectly accurate description for the article. This report is on a particular person not an opinion piece on single parent households.

Journalists aren’t going to stop, or shouldn’t, stop using applicable language because it winds someone up or they take personal offence over something out of context.

But the journalists don’t write the headlines.
Somebody else does that - and they write them to grab our attention.
My apologies - I can’t remember what the headline writers are called. lol probably “headline writers.”

Original poster

IsitaHatOrACat · 14/05/2025 05:23

JustMyView13 · 14/05/2025 05:19

Is it possible that the term ‘Broken home’ could be an accurate description of Bradley Wiggins childhood, whilst being a wholly inappropriate way of describing your own family set up?

I’m not entirely convinced the writer was looking to take a swipe at you when they wrote about Bradley Wiggins, but I could be wrong.

It's a swipe at all single parents. Not just me! This kind if stigma prevent parents ending abusive relationships. See also "failed marriage"

OP posts:

arcticpandas · 14/05/2025 05:22

My take on it is that you come from a broken home when your parents get a divorce. So a single parent who always been single is not defined as a broken home. My parents got divorced when I was 11 and yes, I felt as though my home was broken and as if I was broken. I worried constantly about my dad comitting suicide. It was a nasty divorce and it left indelible scars.

In my case there was no dv involved though. I think that if there is dv/abuse the home is already broken whether the the parents stay together or not.

Original poster

IsitaHatOrACat · 14/05/2025 05:21

JustMyView13 · 14/05/2025 05:19

Is it possible that the term ‘Broken home’ could be an accurate description of Bradley Wiggins childhood, whilst being a wholly inappropriate way of describing your own family set up?

I’m not entirely convinced the writer was looking to take a swipe at you when they wrote about Bradley Wiggins, but I could be wrong.

The article offers no further details other than describing his "broken home" which can only reasonably be considered to refer to separated/divorced parents

OP posts:

FortyElephants · 14/05/2025 05:20

frozendaisy · 14/05/2025 05:02

But it probably is a perfectly accurate description for the article. This report is on a particular person not an opinion piece on single parent households.

Journalists aren’t going to stop, or shouldn’t, stop using applicable language because it winds someone up or they take personal offence over something out of context.

How is it an accurate description? It doesn't describe anything clearly at all. Do they mean divorced parents? Or actual abuse? This is poor use of language.

Original poster

IsitaHatOrACat · 14/05/2025 05:19

Sunnysideup32 · 14/05/2025 05:15

There's no need to mention him being from a broken home, what relevance does it have on him being an addict?
According to the report, Bradley Wiggins became an addict after his marriage collapsed, yet it implies that because his parents were separated, this was the reason he was bought up in poverty and ended up using cocaine,

Absolutely!
Clearly whatever happens to my child in future will be down to his "broken home"

OP posts:

FortyElephants · 14/05/2025 05:19

Snowdrop4 · 14/05/2025 04:49

In my case ,as a child, witness to lots of DV ,and then horrendous fighting and divorce, followed by a tug of war with me in the middle for 15 years ..most definitely yes I came from a broken home .
It damaged me beyond repair..they damaged me beyond repair..what else would you call my situation as a child..I certainly wasn't happy..my home was shattered in to a million pieces as was my heart .
I'm glad your home for your child is not the same .

That's an abusive home. That's not what the phrase 'broken home' means. That's an incredibly old fashioned and judgemental term referring to separated parents.

JustMyView13 · 14/05/2025 05:19

Is it possible that the term ‘Broken home’ could be an accurate description of Bradley Wiggins childhood, whilst being a wholly inappropriate way of describing your own family set up?

I’m not entirely convinced the writer was looking to take a swipe at you when they wrote about Bradley Wiggins, but I could be wrong.

Original poster

IsitaHatOrACat · 14/05/2025 05:18

But broken home refers to divorced parents, not a home where abuse occurs. I'm genuinely surprised at some of the responses on here.

My take is that this kind of language prevents people in abusive relationships separating due to societal responses and stigma perpetuated by the media (and some politicians but that's another thread...)

Journalists should absolutely stop using language which causes offence. One example being how reports on men who murder their ex-spouses/spouses no longer include positive character references such as being a "family-man" following a campaign (which I can't remember the name of)

OP posts:

Sunnysideup32 · 14/05/2025 05:15

There's no need to mention him being from a broken home, what relevance does it have on him being an addict?
According to the report, Bradley Wiggins became an addict after his marriage collapsed, yet it implies that because his parents were separated, this was the reason he was bought up in poverty and ended up using cocaine,

frozendaisy · 14/05/2025 05:02

But it probably is a perfectly accurate description for the article. This report is on a particular person not an opinion piece on single parent households.

Journalists aren’t going to stop, or shouldn’t, stop using applicable language because it winds someone up or they take personal offence over something out of context.

Sunnysideup32 · 14/05/2025 04:58

My kids would've come from a 'broken home" if I'd have stayed with their dad, as they would've witnessed him being abusive to me.
As it is, I left him and bought them both up on my own when only toddlers and babies, and they've grown into amazing adults. Both are loving, caring and are a real credit to me,
They've both done extremely well with degrees and good jobs, and are law abiding citizens, one being a special constable too.

I hate the stigma surrounding single parents (usually Mums), especially when I see so many youngsters getting into trouble and/or taking drugs when they come from a home with both parents raising them.

Snowdrop4 · 14/05/2025 04:49

In my case ,as a child, witness to lots of DV ,and then horrendous fighting and divorce, followed by a tug of war with me in the middle for 15 years ..most definitely yes I came from a broken home .
It damaged me beyond repair..they damaged me beyond repair..what else would you call my situation as a child..I certainly wasn't happy..my home was shattered in to a million pieces as was my heart .
I'm glad your home for your child is not the same .