Personal and Online Contact during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Nonresident Parents and their Children in Hungary

Abstract

This study examines nonresident parents’ contact with their children in Hungary during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted 22 semistructured interviews with 14 nonresidential fathers, 3 resident mothers and 5 parents who have shared custody arrangements in order to reveal whether this unique situation had any effects on their contact patterns and whether online contact became more widespread during the pandemic. Our results showed that considerable changes occurred in the personal contact between nonresidents parents and their children due to the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic, such as changes in working conditions and online education. Online communication became a substitute in cases where personal contact was suspended.