BBC news using the phrase "broken home"

If that's the case then journalistic style guides state they should be clear it's the subject's own language and not theirs

@Englishsummerblues you use the term break up, that’s the point isn’t it. The original family unit has broken up, hence a broken home

Personally, I think they will have used terms that the subject of the article uses. So Bradley Wiggins may well consider himself as being from a broken home, raised in poverty. I doubt that came from anyone but him tbh.

@Hwibut many many children have both a mum and a dad who are involved and committed after a divorce or break up.

Yes because everyone has the right to be offended. But nothing more.

@Snowdrop4but the alternative would be your parents staying married and you continuing to witness abuse right? I’m really sorry but in no scenario would you have had a better childhood unless your parents did a lot of work on themselves. Them staying in a marriage would not have been the solution, based on the statement you have written. Unhappy people and people in dysfunctional relationships have children. That’s just the facts, the solution is not for them to stay married, the solution is for them to work on themselves and their relationship before having children.

It is a broken home - a child wants a mum and a dad. I know it must be upsetting, but it is just stating facts.

I’d feed back if you feel strongly, and it will be changed I’d say. Remember sports journalists rarely write about things like this so and have a less formal style so I can see how it crept in.

This.

@ByDenimCriticwould you say the same to someone who was offended by the word ‘Cis gender’ or ‘scrounger’ or ‘TERF’?? Language matters, we are the single parents, we get to define ourselves. Our homes are not broken. If Bradley Wiggins’s said he felt like he came from a broken home, that would be his opinion of his own childhood. Same as anyone, we can define ourselves. ‘Broken home’ isn’t a good description as it sounds fragmented, whilst the remaining family unit could be stronger or more united after the ‘break’. It also suggests only one family home whilst we know that many children have two happy homes, or three or four. They could have bedrooms at grandparents or uncles, or homes in other countries.

And 'broken home' is not accurate!

Journalists should absolutely stop using language which causes offence.

No. Journalists should use accurate language. Prioritising 'not causing offence' is a slippery slope that ends up with male rapists described with female pronouns.

So what should she do - have the kids in her care 24/7 because they miss their mum? While they are with their other parent? The father presumably asked for 50/50 and now berates her for having hobbies? If this family are real and not pulled out of your arse that is a truly screwed up way of looking at the situation.

You’re obviously insecure about it and triggered, or you wouldn’t have written the post. The term is correct even if you don’t like it. It is what it is. Get on with your life and do your best.

Although I do totally see your point- I think you are slightly misunderstanding the phrase. It describes families who have divorced or separated during a childs formative years. If you were always a single parent- there was never a change or a break to refer to- so you are not a broken home.

The term could be applicable to me as my parents split during my childhood years- I feel the term has changed from being a straight description of any seperated family to being one that implies there was an emotional trauma from the disruption. So I might be surprised but not upset if they did use it about me. The upheaval of divorce as an early teen was a lot emotionally. My parents were pretty nasty to each other. I have some anxiety issues as an adult, it might have played a part.

Its use now seems to be mainly from defence teams trying to convey childhood trauma and I think it's useful in that context- so I wouldn't advocate for it being banned. When the papers use it it's almost always because the person themselves or their defence have used the description rather than it being a judgement from an outsider, so I think its ok. I think the term can be quite empowering for a person with a bad childhood to be able to say to convey my homelife broke down and it wasn't okay.

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

That might be your understanding of the term OP, but it is not mine nor, I suggest, is your interpretation widely accepted.

That's my point. It's introducing subjectivity.

I couldn't agree more. There's nothing broken about this home although my son's dad and I are no longer married. It's a comfortable, safe place where my son is cared for, fed lovingly cooked meals, is able to welcome his friends, do his homework and play or read. He has similar at the home he shares with his dad when he's not with me.

Language can and should be changed. We live in a one parent home, if it needs a descriptor.

It's not particularly useful language, but I also think divorce affects kids a lot more than many people recognize. It manifests many years later in their adult relationships. It's often the best solution to poor choices made by their parents, but it's the kids that have to live with the consequences of the poor choices. I think a lot of these poor choices are made pre kids, in a rush to tick societies boxes and beat biology.

I thought of the woman yesterday, with the insane timeline to date, marry, get pregnant. There was no way her plan would allow her to truly know the father of her future kids, or their compatibility. She wasn't even planning to sleep with him before marriage. It was all about her wanting a baby.

Well some think the BBC is one person with one set of political opinions.

Only if you choose to be offended. Our kids are the product of two divorces, they’d absolutely describe their first homes as broken.

My parents got divorced when I was a teenager. It was probably the best thing for them, but I don't think it was the best thing for me as they hid their issues so well that I was totally blindsided when they announced their divorce! As far as I was aware everything was great.

I have no issues with the phrase broken home. We had a complete family and then my parents "broke" up. I don't see stigma in the phrase.

I agree with you op. Home is a place of love and sanctuary. Or it should be. I work in child protection . Parents stay in toxic relationships to the detriment of their children's wellbeing because they don't want a 'broken home' when their home is already shattered .