Makenna Ogg
Ms. Markman
English Composition
18 March 2015
The Affects Divorce Has on Children
“But in the real world, you couldn’t really just split a family down the middle, mom on one side, dad the other, with the child equally divided between. It was like when you ripped a piece of paper into two: no matter how you tried, the seams never fit exactly right again. It was what you couldn't see, those tiniest of pieces, that were lost in the severing, and their absence kept everything from being complete.”
- Sarah Dessen Throughout the United States divorce has increasingly risen in the past years. “In 2000, 49% of US marriages ended in divorce” (Gianoulis). Children everywhere are becoming the products of broken families; caught in between a mommy and daddy, when before, there was no choice. Before, all there was was comfort, familiarity and stability. Although divorce may seem like the best option in an unhappy situation, the affects on the children’s emotional state can be harmful. These effects are emotionally, psychological, academically, socially, and economically damaging. To begin, in a study by Laumann-Billings and Emery they found that children of divorce suffer emotionally. This allows for new generations of broken families to be made. The saying “the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree” would apply. In the article, Divorce by Brackett and Woolly, the authors say approximately 400,000 of the estimated million cases of divorce a year result in children being “emotionally disturbed.” Research shows 90% of situations involving divorce result in women gaining custody of the children. This too, can have negative effects on a child. Father figures are an essential part of childhood, without one, dangerous habits could develop. “Children may experience depression and have less of a chance to be equally bonded with both parents” (Brackett and Woolley). Due to the surge of divorce in America, several scholars and researchers have set out to observe and dissect the specific affects divorce can have.
One study in particular was done by Hurree, Junkkari, and Aro they said that “Because divorce is becoming an increasingly common experience among children and adolescents of Western countries… we set out to investigate whether parental divorce in childhood had increased long-term mental health vulnerability or led to stressful paths among adults from divorced families” (Hurree, Junkkari, and Aro). The purpose of the study was to show the affect divorce has on children and whether or not it changes them. In the article, How Divorce Affects Children by Laumann-Billings and Emery, they produced a graph based on a study done on 99 college students and the pain their parent’s divorce brought them. By looking at this graph, an individual could empathize with the emotional trauma the students went through during this time.
Below is a graph of the percentage who reported painful feelings of having parental divorce and what each individual thinks of having this experience. Similarly, a way children can be affected by divorce is psychological. By growing up with divorced parents it is hard for the child to understand why it happened in the first place. In an article, Children and Divorce, the authors illustrate ways a parent could help the child cope with the initial divorce. “By providing routines kids can rely on, you remind children they can count on you for stability, structure, and care” (Kemp, Smith, Segal). The child will be in need of support from their family, especially when they are going through the divorce. Without the care and love, the child will have the added stress, which will only aid in their psychological suffering. Since it is a time from them transitioning to a marriage into a divorce, the children need to be a top-priority to the parents. By being affected psychologically, this can create a life of conflict for the child. By the parents talking to the child, this will help the relationship seem more stable and will help in reassuring the child of their safety.
One way children can be affected by divorce is academically. Though emotional defects are very serious side effects, academically is another way children are being affected by divorce. From the article, The Psychology of Divorce, studies have shown “children do indeed struggle as their families come apart, and that they score lower on a variety of academics than children of married parents” (Portnoy). Late nights filled with screaming matches, the fear of coming home to your mommy or daddy not being there, the stress of having to pick a side and the guilt that divorce causes are all factors of why a child might be doing miserably in school during the separation of their parent’s marriage. Though this isn’t the case for all kids, a majority of studies have come to the same conclusion. Within the article The Psychology of Divorce by Portnoy, “For some decades through the 1990’s, findings indicated that children of divorce scored lower on measures of academic success… Evidence suggested that these negative effects lasted into adulthood” (Portnoy). These negative effects can lead to the one or both of the parents not being involved with their education. The student may become frustrated, confused, and angry with the new expectations of them. In their minds it could mean there should be less time for homework and more time to bring the family back together. Another way divorce affects children is socially. According to statistics, children are being affected socially in many different ways. In the article, The Psychology of Divorce, “Hetherington and Kelly research that children who display helplessness, anxiety, insecurity, or anti-social behavior saw negative tendencies get worst after parental divorce” (Portnoy). Amongst many schools, children are being bullied and torn down because of their parents’ divorce. In an article, Dealing with Bullying “Research shows that 25% of kids experience bullying.” Bullies tend to pick on people who are different and that includes the children who have divorced parents. Children are being ridiculed which results in them becoming angry, depressed, and frightened. These behaviors can make the child feel unloved and alone. Being the product of divorce doesn’t justify the horrid actions of bullies brought on every year.
The loss of friends could affect a child socially as well. “Each year, more than 1 million children are involved in the divorce of their parents. For those who see a two-parent home as essential for rearing well-adjusted children, divorce creates additional problems by creating single-parents families”(Brackett and Woolley). People have a habit of bringing what they’ve grown up in, into their own relationships. This can lead to several life altering problems later on in life. Concerning “ romantic relationships in adulthood, the children of divorce are more likely to experience martial instability and a slight elevation in their own divorce rates.” (Portnoy). No child wants to grow up alone, nor do they want to deal with the same issues their parents went through. This can have an effect that will lead to severe social damage. Finally, one of the last ways children are affected by divorce is economically. “More than 25% of divorced women experience at least some time in poverty during the five years following a divorce” (Brackett and Woolley). As mentioned before, 90% of women obtain custody of the children after a divorce. “Both men and women in adulthood are reporting having lower levels of psychological well-being” (Brackett and Woolley). This affects the children by bringing financial disadvantages to children of divorce compared to children who aren’t. “Most children of divorce live with their mothers and hence live with a lower income” (Portnoy).
Children are starving and suffering because they are not in a stable environment economically. In an article, Children and Poverty, “In recent years, about one in five American children-some 12 to 14 million-have lived in families in which cash income failed to exceed official poverty thresholds” (Brooks-Gunn and Duncan). This explains the importance of a child’s well-being. The way the children grow up in their adolescent years will affect them in the future. “Because children are dependent on others, they enter to avoid poverty by virtue of their family’s economic circumstances” (Brooks-Gunn and Duncan). This means children cannot go day to day without lack of support. The article continues to talk about the circumstances children could go through if they aren’t economically stable. Having a child feel safe and being healthy could make the process of divorce easier. “Is it through inadequate nutrition; fewer learning experiences; instability of residence; lower quality of schools…” (Brooks-Gunn and Duncan). A child should feel safe in their home and not have to worry about if they will be able to survive the next day, week, or year. Therefore, if women are experiencing poverty in the years after divorce, this would affect the financial stability for the kids involved; affecting their health, hygiene and self esteem.
Children, no matter how tough they claim to be, are fragile. They are impressionable and weak and they need proper nurturing. Unfortunately, because of the high divorce rates, this has become less likely. The more selfish our generations become, the more broken people they will continue to produce. Divorce, statistically, is doing more harm than good. Children are growing up without parents, they are being ridiculed and bullied in schools, they are starving and they are suffering emotionally. Although divorce may seem like the only way out in certain situations, the repercussions are worse. Children are affected emotionally, socially and economically by divorce on a daily basis. “Children ought not to be victims of the choices adults make for them,” –Wade Horn.

Works Cited
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Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne and Duncan, Greg. "The Effects of Poverty on Children." (n.d.): n. Summer/Fall. 1997. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
Emery, Robert E. "How Divorce Affects Children." The Truth about Children and Divorce. N.p., 2000. Web. 04 Mar. 2015.
Gianoulis, Tina. "Divorce." Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. Vol. 4: 1960s-1970s. Detroit: UXL, 2002. 1075-1077. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 4 Feb. 2015.
Huurre Taina, Hanna Junkkari, and Hillevi Aro. “Long-Term Psychosocial Effects Of Parental Divorce.” European Archives Of Psychiatry & Clinical Neuroscience 256.4 (2006): 256-263. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Feb. 2015.
Kemp, Gina, Smith, Melinda, and Segal Jeanne. "Children and Divorce." : Helping Kids Cope with Separation and Divorce. N.p., 11 Feb. 2015. Web. 06 Mar. 2015.
Portnoy, Sandford M. "The Psychology Of Divorce: A Lawyer's Primer, Part 2: The Effects Of Divorce On Children." American Journal Of Family Law 21.4 (2008): 126-134. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Feb. 2015.
Robinson, Lawrence and Segal, Jeanne. "Dealing with Bullying." Dealing with Bullying: Helping Bullied Kids & Teens. N.p., Feb. 2015. Web. 11 Mar. 2015
Roseby, Vivienne, and Robin Deutsch. "Children Of Separation And Divorce: Effects Of A Social Role-Taking Group Intervention On Fourth And Fifth Graders." Journal Of Clinical Child Psychology 14.1 (1985): 55. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Feb. 2015.