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Original poster

BBC news using the phrase "broken home"

315 replies

IsitaHatOrACat · 14/05/2025 04:35

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
www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/articles/c23mv42m2lmo

OP posts:
SandyY2K · 14/05/2025 17:26

JHound · 14/05/2025 16:29

It’s a way of trying to shame women into remaining in mediocre marriages.

”Think of the children” is always aimed at the person leaving….never aimed at the behaviour causing them to leave.

Odd that.

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Men often leave marriages too. Nobody should be shamed into staying in a marriage where they're unhappy.

A lot of terms used van be considered outdated, but it is what it is. Taking offence over this particular article, is more a personal trigger.

Separation of the family unit, is essentially a breakdown...hence the use of the word broken. That doesn't mean for one minute, that the parents splitting up is a bad thing.

In many cases, it's necessary for the safety of the kids and/or the parent.
We do need to recognise, that 2 things can be true.

Someone can come from a broken home AND the separation of the parents was the RIGHT THING to happen.

They are not mutually exclusive.

Some kids benefit from their parents being separated or divorced.

Some kids have negative outcomes as a result of the split.

It doesn't mean that kids with parents that stay together do not also have negative outcomes...many do, for different reasons.

Original poster
IsitaHatOrACat · 14/05/2025 17:25

JHound · 14/05/2025 16:38

Tbh by asking how many are single you are doing the same thing you accuse them of.

I am single but can also clearly see that “broken home” is awful language and part of broader societal attitudes that seeks to pressure people to remain in miserable partnerships.

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Meant to type single Parent not single. Apologies for the misunderstanding

OP posts:
TheHerboriste · 14/05/2025 16:55

crackofdoom · 14/05/2025 16:08

God yes, I didn't notice that at first. No studies much less than 20 years old, some over 30. Yet TheHerboriste says she's been looking at recent studies....🤔

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The recent studies still cite the earlier ones.
Did you even read the BBC and NPR articles?

JHound · 14/05/2025 16:38

This reply has been deleted

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Tbh by asking how many are single you are doing the same thing you accuse them of.

I am single but can also clearly see that “broken home” is awful language and part of broader societal attitudes that seeks to pressure people to remain in miserable partnerships.

JHound · 14/05/2025 16:29

This reply has been deleted

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

It’s a way of trying to shame women into remaining in mediocre marriages.

”Think of the children” is always aimed at the person leaving….never aimed at the behaviour causing them to leave.

Odd that.

JHound · 14/05/2025 16:27

Whatafustercluck · 14/05/2025 12:12

I didn't read it that way. Plenty of couples divorce, it's amicable, and the children see both parents regularly and end up becoming well adjusted adults. The problems are invariably when kids are totally abandoned by one of their birth parents, or there is continued hostility between the parents that the children are party to. In BW's case, his father left and he never saw or heard from him again until he was an adult (and it wasn't a happy reunion). His stepfather also left. Feelings of abandonment like that have a life long impact.

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But the way it’s used in this article specifically it’s used as inherently negatively.

JHound · 14/05/2025 16:26

HeadNorth · 14/05/2025 13:23

There are a lot of children of divorce in this thread saying they agree the phrase is accurate and fine to use, and a lot of adults who got divorced saying it's not because it's offensive to them.

Yup, I noticed that...

I’m a child of divorce and think the phrase is inaccurate. My parents separation is one of my happiest childhood memories.

Englishsummerblues · 14/05/2025 16:23

Whilst Chapple (2013) found that in non US countries, the size of causal effect on a child’s well-being of being brought up in a single parent family is ‘small’.
This also contrasts to other studies as they actually speak to the children about their views on their family set up, not just the adults.

crackofdoom · 14/05/2025 16:08

Englishsummerblues · 14/05/2025 12:01

@TheHerboristethese are very outdated, look at the dates. In my field we don’t look at anything older than five years as being accurate.

God yes, I didn't notice that at first. No studies much less than 20 years old, some over 30. Yet TheHerboriste says she's been looking at recent studies....🤔

IsitaHatOrACat · 14/05/2025 15:06

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

MatildaMovesMountains · 14/05/2025 14:07

AlmostAJillSandwich · 14/05/2025 14:05

You're being way too sensitive.
It's just a technical term that has a generalised meaning so people will get the gist in fewer words than "His homelife was with a single mother and a father not in the picture".

A technical term 😅

AlmostAJillSandwich · 14/05/2025 14:05

You're being way too sensitive.
It's just a technical term that has a generalised meaning so people will get the gist in fewer words than "His homelife was with a single mother and a father not in the picture".

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 14/05/2025 14:05

Has it it occurred to you that he himself described himself as coming from a broken home during the interview

He had a poor relationship with is father who was not in his life for years. I think BW is the best placed person to decide what words are correct for his own experience.

MatildaMovesMountains · 14/05/2025 14:03

HeadNorth · 14/05/2025 13:55

Unfortunately for you, journalists want to write snappy engaging copy that connects with their readers. HTH.

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Connects with their prejudiced, primitive-minded readers. Got you.

MatildaMovesMountains · 14/05/2025 14:01

TheHerboriste · 14/05/2025 13:51

I’m a former journalist and this is just nonsense.

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Not a great former journalist then 🙄

HeadNorth · 14/05/2025 13:55

MatildaMovesMountains · 14/05/2025 13:32

Children with divorced parents are 100% entitled to use the expression to describe THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE. Journalists should use neutral, non-judgmental language. HTH.

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Unfortunately for you, journalists want to write snappy engaging copy that connects with their readers. HTH.

TheHerboriste · 14/05/2025 13:51

MatildaMovesMountains · 14/05/2025 13:32

Children with divorced parents are 100% entitled to use the expression to describe THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE. Journalists should use neutral, non-judgmental language. HTH.

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I’m a former journalist and this is just nonsense.

MatildaMovesMountains · 14/05/2025 13:32

HeadNorth · 14/05/2025 13:23

There are a lot of children of divorce in this thread saying they agree the phrase is accurate and fine to use, and a lot of adults who got divorced saying it's not because it's offensive to them.

Yup, I noticed that...

Children with divorced parents are 100% entitled to use the expression to describe THEIR OWN EXPERIENCE. Journalists should use neutral, non-judgmental language. HTH.

HeadNorth · 14/05/2025 13:23

There are a lot of children of divorce in this thread saying they agree the phrase is accurate and fine to use, and a lot of adults who got divorced saying it's not because it's offensive to them.

Yup, I noticed that...

MatildaMovesMountains · 14/05/2025 12:55

Hankunamatata · 14/05/2025 12:12

Your choosing to interpret the term 'broken home' as single parental households. I don't think anyone uses the phrase with that definition anymore. A broken home to me is a home with dysfunctional conditions such as abuse/violence/neglect

Yours is an idiosyncratic interpretation; look up the definition/usage of broken home.

MatildaMovesMountains · 14/05/2025 12:54

MajorEruption · 14/05/2025 10:08

I use this term, it describes my childhood, nothing wrong with the term it describes a fact🤔

No, it doesn't; a factual application of the expression would mean a home that was physically broken. You are just blinded to the judgmental aspect.

Neurodiversitydoctor · 14/05/2025 12:22

Feetinthegrass · 14/05/2025 10:15

I disagree. People change when they are facing parenthood. Some are triggered by childhood trauma, others find the responsibility too much. Maybe there is disability or other challenges. Most relationships start out from a place of equality, contentment and love. Sadly you can’t plan life/reactions/uncertainty.

Do you really imagine women choose violent thugs for life companions? Or do you think over time the mask drops, and things change. Or circumstances change and therefore the dynamics.

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The vast, vast, vast majority of break-ups are not about people fleeing violent thugs.

Snowdrop4 · 14/05/2025 12:20

Englishsummerblues · 14/05/2025 12:06

@Snowdrop4in terms of remarrying I am absolutely with you; the statistics relating to step parents is not great. I would argue one happy parent on their own is worth more than two unhappy parents together though.

Yes
Absolutely
I would of been 100% happier had I lived with either of them ,and they were a single parent.

Whatafustercluck · 14/05/2025 12:12

JHound · 14/05/2025 11:25

Also the issue with the way they have used the term here is they assume having separated parents is inherently negative.

It’s not.

I didn't read it that way. Plenty of couples divorce, it's amicable, and the children see both parents regularly and end up becoming well adjusted adults. The problems are invariably when kids are totally abandoned by one of their birth parents, or there is continued hostility between the parents that the children are party to. In BW's case, his father left and he never saw or heard from him again until he was an adult (and it wasn't a happy reunion). His stepfather also left. Feelings of abandonment like that have a life long impact.

Hankunamatata · 14/05/2025 12:12

Your choosing to interpret the term 'broken home' as single parental households. I don't think anyone uses the phrase with that definition anymore. A broken home to me is a home with dysfunctional conditions such as abuse/violence/neglect

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