...Divorce has become the norm in American society, but what has not become the norm are the effects that it has on children. Divorce impacts all individuals connected to the relationship but children are effected the most. Because of their innocence and immaturity they are not able to cope with the stressful events and aftermath of divorce like adults are able to. No one knows exactly how a child will react to divorce but more than not their behavior can be characterized as explosive and sporadic. The purpose of this research paper is to provide credible information on the effects that divorce has on children and the impact that it makes on their overall outlook on life before and after the divorce occurred. It will also highlight the stress that comes along with the relationship between parent and child as well as some insight on common practices used to help the children cope with the overall impact of divorce. Last but not least I will be adding some insight from my own personal experience about the effects of divorce. The demise or end of marriage has various and lasting effects on everyone connected to the couple going through that situation. Along with that comes a huge amount of stress, ill willed feelings, confusion, emptiness, and a plethora of other things that I would need three more pages to list. Children are the most vulnerable to the effects of these things. With their simple mind set and understanding of things, the concept of daddy and mommy not living...
Words: 1636 - Pages: 7
...EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN Marriage by mutual consent is without a doubt one of the most important and happy events in the life of an individual. When two people meet and once decide to create a family, it may seem they will stay together forever. However, the reality brings in its own adjustments, and about 50% of marriages end up with a divorce in the USA (Trust). Though divorce is often a psychologically difficult procedure, adults can deal with the consequences. The situation changes to worse if the couple gave birth to a child, who is often the one to suffer the most from divorce. Divorce causes different emotional reactions in children of different ages. Preschoolers, who are often unable to understand the reasons behind their parents’ divorce, tend to blame themselves and feel responsible for bringing their parents back together again (Clinical Psychology Associates). Children of 6-8 years continue to have similar fantasies, though the feeling of guilt and responsibility for the divorce decreases; they, however, experience a strong sense of grief and loss. Children of 9-12 years are able to understand the reasons of their parents’ divorce better, and tend to consciously express their anger and disapproval, and take the side of one of the parents. As it can be seen, divorce causes intense emotional distress in children, and can make them feel guilty and responsible for bringing their parents back together. Children and teenagers whose parents are divorced...
Words: 626 - Pages: 3
...THE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN CPANCF.COM (352) 336-2888 Originally submitted 1/1/2001 and previously published in Gainesville Family Magazine All Rights Reserved: Clinical Psychology Associates of North Central Florida Gainesville and Ocala, FL | The Effects Of Divorce On Children by Lesley Foulkes-Jamison, Ph.D., Private Practice, South Carolina When parents decide to divorce or separate, their child or children are faced with multiple stressors. Just knowing that things are going to be different after a divorce, but not knowing exactly how can be frightening for most children. Children from divorced families have to learn to cope with the many changes in their family. The amount of contact with one parent, often their father, will be reduced. Children may have to move from their family home or change schools. They may have a decreased standard of living. They may have to live in two homes. They may have more responsibility placed on them. The custodial parent may be physically and psychologically less available for children due to increased demands. Often, children initially focus on these immediate negative effects of the family breaking up, and do not find comfort in knowing that other families that have divorced eventually do okay. Adjustment to divorce can take up to two years or even longer. Many children will adjust to their parents' divorce, but some will continue to have significant...
Words: 3470 - Pages: 14
...The Impact of Divorce on Children under the Age of 18 Leroy James Phoenix University Abstract This paper explores references in regards to divorce and the effect that it has on our children. Articles along with books related to divorce and children will make up the entirety of this research paper. A variety of information will be derived from each reference that will expound on children’s reaction to their parents’ divorce. Clarke-Stewart and Brentano (2006) suggest that children see no benefit in divorce because the end of their parents’ marriage is a complete loss turning their lives upside down. This paper also examines researches on play therapy and storytelling that delves into children’s thoughts and feelings about their parents’ divorce. Clarke-Stewart and Brentano (2006) also suggest that most children just wish that their parents would get back together and shape up. This issue is definitely something to pay well attention to because of its effect on our children and society. It has been revealed that a computer search of books and articles in the database PsycINFO reveals more than four thousand on the topic of “children of divorce”—half of them in the past decade. Overall this paper will attempt to cover a majority of children base issues pertaining to their parents’ divorce and their struggle to make adjustments to cope with the major changes that comes along with the aftermath. Divorce is an epidemic that’s running...
Words: 1262 - Pages: 6
...Divorce is an unfortunate event for any family, particularly those with children. Studies have shown that approximately 25% of children whose parents divorce suffer psychologically, socially, and academically at some point in their lives. For the most part, research on divorce focuses solely on divorce in the immediate aftermath, usually a two to five-year window, so nothing is set in stone. Nonetheless, it is crucial for parents who have decided on divorce to keep in mind that their separation is not only about them. Their children are in just as deep.One major concern is that the children of divorce will come to the conclusion that their parents no longer love them. If one parent moves out, some children will assume responsibility for the separation and respond accordingly. Other children will feel abandoned and betrayed in some fashion, as though their parents have divorced them as well. Without any reassurance, these children may develop fears of abandonment. On occasion, the children involved are too young to understand the goings-on, but regardless of age, they need their parents to support them and their feelings to show them that they are not completely powerless.Conflicts of loyalty can also come into play. Particularly if the divorce is messy and full of conflict, a child may feel obligated to choose a side. This can be extremely traumatic for children; they love both parents dearly and do not want to choose between them. Divorces are difficult for everyone involved...
Words: 656 - Pages: 3
...Effects of Divorce on Children Elizabeth O’Connor Psychology 210 Liberty University Online Abstract The purpose of this research paper is to examine the effects divorce has on children. This paper will look at several areas of child development and introduce some statistics on children affected by divorce. It will discuss pre and post-divorce family environments and the factors that lead to it, as well as the effects 25 years post-divorce. It will also summarize studies conducted by other researchers and present ideas found to be true from clinical interviews and following a group of children from 18 months post parental divorce to 25 years later. Other topics will include family functioning pre and post-divorce, the impact of father involvement post-divorce; as well as common behavioral issues present with children of parental divorce families. In conclusion a summary of how variations in home life, parenting style and personalities can affect the outcome of long term effects on children of parental divorce. I. Introduction Several studies have been conducted over the years analyzing the effects divorce has on children. This research has proved to be a valuable tool in the field of psychology. This year over one million children will experience parental divorce (Demo & Supple, 2003) and the effects can last a lifetime. Of those one million children fifty percent of them are under the age of six (Wallerstein & Lewis, 2004). II. Statistics In the United...
Words: 2037 - Pages: 9
...The Effects of Divorce on Children Christopher M Quinn Developmental Psychology Liberty University Abstract This research paper will attempt to shed light of the very real issue of the effects of divorce on children in the United States and abroad. It is estimated that currently fifty-three percent of all marriages in the United States end in divorce or other less than amicable methods; of these marriage dissolutions, seven out of ten involve children. This paper will attempt to connect the negative psychological impacts that are attached to the lives of children especially in the vulnerable early developmental stages of a child’s life. This research paper will pull from many different reputable sources that include a prominent university, psychiatric journals, and accredited psychology research papers. Today in the United States of America over fifty percent of all marriages, no matter what religion joined the couple, end in a divorce or less than amicable circumstances. There have been many theories presented over time as to why divorce occurs and why these rates have increased so dramatically over the last forty years. Some believe that the economy may play a role; others believe that the length of the engagement or relationship plays an important part; the couple living together prior to marriage “increases” the chance that divorce will result; or not cohabitating prior to marriage may contribute as the transition period is too stressful; still others believe...
Words: 1905 - Pages: 8
...The Effects of Divorce on Children The statistics for divorce in the 1990's suggest that nearly sixty percent of marriages end in divorce. Given this startling figure, the presumption can be made that many children will experience some effects caused by the life-changing event called divorce. What is it exactly about divorce that causes negative consequences for these children? In what ways will these children be affected? Will these effects show outwardly? The unsettling fact is: young children of divorced parents face great psychological challenges due to the environmental conditions and changes associated with divorce (Wolchik and Karoly). When we pass the year 2012, we will see two groups of working age adults emerging. One group will have received psychological, social, economic, educational and moral benefits and the other group will have been denied them all. The first group will have grown up with both parents present in the house and the second group will have not had both parents present. Parental conflict appears to have a pronounced effect on the coping efforts of children. The intense anxiety and anger between some parents in the early stages of divorce is real. Often time’s parents allow their children to get in the middle of fierce verbal fighting between them. Berating the other parent in front of the child is another way of placing the child in an unfair position, which in essence is expecting the child to choose between the parents. Any form of parental conflict...
Words: 862 - Pages: 4
...The Effects of Divorce on Children Marriage by mutual consent is without a doubt one of the most important and happy events in the life of an individual. When two people meet and once decide to create a family, it may seem that they will stay together forever. However, the reality brings in its own adjustments, and about 50% of marriages end up with a divorce; in 2011, the divorce rate in the USA made around 50%. In 2000, the divorce rate (per 1,000 people) was at the rate of 4.0, and by 2011, it was at 3.6 while the marriage rate was 8.2 in 2000 and fell to 6.2 by 2011. Though divorce is often a psychologically difficult procedure, adults can deal with the consequences. The situation changes to worse if the couple gave birth to a child, who is often the one to suffer the most from divorce. Divorce causes different emotional reactions in children of different ages. Preschoolers, who are often unable to understand the reasons behind their parents’ divorce, tend to blame themselves and feel responsible for bringing their parents back together again. Children of 6-8 years continue to have similar fantasies, though the feeling of guilt and responsibility for the divorce decreases; they, however, experience a strong sense of grief and loss. Children of 9-12 years are able to understand the reasons of their parents’ divorce better, and tend to consciously express their anger and disapproval, and take the side of one of the parents. As it can be seen, divorce causes intense emotional...
Words: 669 - Pages: 3
...Effects of Divorce on Children “What God has joined together, let not man separate”, says the bible. Nowadays, people have forgotten these words. That’s why they see the divorce as a great way to solve things. This “solution” has many consequences and the most tragic one is on their progenitors. The results of the divorce on the children are: depression, social and personal maladjustment, and anxiety. According to Bengoechea (1992), the children with divorced parents are likely to be depressed. This depression starts when they see their beloved one gone. As a result, they have a tendency to be alone, low self-esteem, guilt, etc. They feel like this because the nearest people to them are their parents. And when they separate, the children feel like there’s no happiness left (Bengoechea, 1992, p. 506). The social and personal maladjustment are most seemed in their schools and with their friends. According to Del Toro, Villatoro, Garcia, Gutierrez, Amador, and Medina (2007), the progenitors are vulnerable to be aggressive towards other people, including their own parents. For example, when the children’s mother forced him to go to a reunion, he tends to respond her. As a result, they are rejected and/or abused. Also, they are likely to associate with other negative factors like: alcoholism, drug addiction, promiscuity, and abusive behavior (Del Valle, Villatoro, Garcia, Gutierrez, Amador, & Medina, 2007, p. 49). When it comes to children, the anxiety is very dangerous. According...
Words: 472 - Pages: 2
...Divorce is the number one leading cause of emotional and physical struggles that children face today. It creates a bigger problem for the children of these families who struggle to understand where they fit in the overall situation. Through research, we find the children are often the bigger picture, when it comes down to the actual divorce. Parents who separate, struggle more with the divorce because they put the children in the middle of the legal decisions. Many people in the world today do not realize how much of an emotional pull divorce has on the child as they emerge into adulthood and other relationships. They do not realize that the child’s feelings and internal emotions generally are overlooked throughout the divorce. It happens because...
Words: 1308 - Pages: 6
...The Effects Of Divorce On Children Mohamet Thiam Western Governors University WGU Student ID# 000204437 The Effects Of divorce On Children The society in general has a better view of divorce now days. According to Jolivet in one of her recent articles in 2011, if you compare the view of society about divorce in the 1950s when women who divorced were stigmatized and today when half of the marriage end in divorce, the view of society about divorce has truly evolved. The rapid societal changes and economic development have contributed to the rise of women at almost the same level as men for professional occupations and to a higher social status with growing women’s rights. The National Center for Health Statistics has estimated in 2011 that between 850,000 and 950,000 couples divorces every year and more than half of divorcing couples have at least one children. In light of the alarming number of children involved in divorce, many studies have been conducted to shed some light on the possible effects on children. In the United States in particular, there are thousands of studies related to the many impacts of divorce on children well being. Research has shown that divorce can have a tremendous impact on children because it can be source of emotional distress especially in the early years, psychological problems, and socialization difficulties. The purpose of the research paper is to synthesize and analyze the well-supported studies conducted by knowledgeable authors...
Words: 2886 - Pages: 12
...The Effects of Divorce on Children ENG215 Research and Writing The Effects of Divorce on Children These days most people accept divorce as a way of life, completely unaware of the damage they are doing to their children. Half of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage. Of all children born to married parents, fifty percent of those will experience the divorce of their parents before they graduate from high school. Compared to children from homes disrupted by death, children from divorced homes have more psychological problems and actually the death of a parent is less devastating to a child than the divorce. When children are involved in a divorce, it often leads to a wide variety of problems down the road and not just for the couple divorcing. It is unbelievable how many people get a divorce without looking into what kind of effect it might have on their children. Unfortunately, the traumatic effects of divorce on children stay with them throughout their childhood and continue on into their adult lives. And in most cases, couples find themselves involving their children in divorce which only makes things worse. When you first break the news to your child that you are getting a divorce, their initial reaction might vary from extreme anger, to sadness, to immediately thinking that the breakup is their fault. One of the most damaging effects of divorce on children is the different outlets they turn to in an effort to deal with...
Words: 1231 - Pages: 5
...The Effects of Divorce on Children Regina L. Vogt Indiana University Southeast Abstract Given the high divorce rate in America, nearly half of all marriages, many children are faced with the stress of their parents divorcing. One would think this would create both short and long term effects on the children involved. However, this may not be the case. To test the researcher, Gina’shypothesis, that there are no long term effects and that the short term effects are more prominent in those whose parents’ divorce once they are older, she created an online survey. This survey was completed by 18 respondents which dispelled her hypothesis that there are more short term effects and very few suffer any long term effects of divorce. Although few respondents answered yes to the short term problem of regression, many respondents answered yes to having suffered with the short term problems in their grades/attendance and long term problems in their relationships/marriage. The Effects of Divorce on Children These days marriages seem almost disposable. If one isn’t happy, divorce can be as easy as expending out a bit of cash, signing some papers andthe marriage is over! Divorce rates have been on the rise since the 1960s when 90% of American children lived with both their biological parents, now that percent has dropped to approximately 40% (Divorce, 2001). In fact, in 2011, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported a...
Words: 1789 - Pages: 8
...Divorce and the effects on Children When most people get married, they don’t go into marriage thinking that in five to ten years they will be getting a divorce; especially after having children. We can sit back and pretend it’s not going to happen but it happens more often than what we realize and children are the most affected by a divorce. Children become disillusioned by a divorce, for better or worse, children look to adults to help make sense of the world they live in. Unfortunately, from the child’s point of view, much of what they are taught defies understanding. It is clear to even the youngest child that what adults say is appropriate behavior bears little resemblance to what adults actually do. Children are keen observers; they see famous men who lie and still hold high office, adults who cheat and yet avoid being caught, and adults who kill in the name of religion. They are all too aware of adults who create problems and neglect to solve them, and adults who abuse themselves or others; but who are nevertheless heralded as heroes. Children not only experience questionable adult behavior at a distance, but also close-up in their own families, are at the most risk for growing up feeling alienated, angry and distrustful of the adult world. There are in excess of fifteen million children in the US who have experienced first hand the dissolution of their family by the process of divorce. Divorce, unfortunately, brings out the worst in people and parenting...
Words: 1420 - Pages: 6
