Argumentative Essay Divorce

1269 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of divorce on child development

English 111-R950W
Lindsey Ashdown, 7/11/2016
Essay #2 Causal Argument Essay
Divorce: To Love or to Leave?
The Effects of Divorce On Children In the United States today, about forty to fifty percent of marriages end in divorce (Doherty, 2009, p.42). Of that rate of divorce, sixty percent of those cases involve children. Divorce doesn’t just impact the adults going through the divorce, divorce also impacts the children in between the chaos. Divorce in the family leads to many negative effects on the children like academic problems, poor social skills, depression, and physical and emotional pain and suffering. Because of the large number of children in America having broken families, it is important to understand the effects of divorce on children’s …show more content…

Some effects of divorce on children are negative emotions like bitterness, stress, fear, anxiety, feeling abandoned, and loss of self-esteem. When a family goes through a divorce, the children will be afraid of being abandoned, rejected, and can think they are the reason for all the arguing. This can make them angry at their selves and cause some physical problems. Attorneys at Law Krueger and Hernandez (2011) state that some physical effects of divorce are “weight gain or loss, difficulty concentrating, increase in tension, and lack of sleep” (para. 1). The effects of divorce on children differ in age groups. When the younger preschool kids become angry and almost impossible to please, the older middle school and high school children are fantasizing about their parents getting back together or even the use of drugs and alcohol to hide their pain. To help control the effects of divorce on children, parents need to realize that they are not the only ones going through it and feeling the pain. The parents need to include the children in their decision and what is good for the whole …show more content…

A. (2016). Sociological Aspects of Divorce. Sociological Aspects of Divorce -- Research Starters Sociology, 1-8. Retrieved from Content Select Research Navigator.
Doherty, W. H. (2009). How common is divorce and what are the reasons? In A. J. Hawkins & T. A. Fackrell (Authors), Should I keep trying to work it out?: A guidebook for individuals and couples at the crossroads of divorce (and before). Salt Lake City, UT: Produced on behalf of the Utah Commission on Marriage.
Krueger, M. L., & Hernandez, M. (2011, July 25). Emotional and Physical Effects of Divorce – Attorneys and other Professionals Can Help - Krueger & Hernandez SC. Retrieved from http://www.kh-law.net/blog/family-law/emotional-physical-effects-divorce-attorneys-professionals/
Link, S. (2016). The Single-Parent Household. Single-Parent Household -- Research Starters Sociology, 19(1), 1-9. Retrieved from ContentSelect Research Navigator.
Wallerstein, J. S. (2009). What are the possible consequences of divorce for children? In A. J. Hawkins & T. A. Fackrell (Authors), Should I keep trying to work it out?: A guidebook for individuals and couples at the crossroads of divorce (and before). Salt Lake City, UT: Produced on behalf of the Utah Commission on

Show More
Related

  • Overview of Divorce in Canada

    1355 Words  | 3 Pages

    Introduction A century ago, divorce was nearly non-existent due to the cultural and religious pressures placed upon married couples. Though over time Canadians have generally become more tolerant of what was once considered ‘mortal sin’, marital separation and divorce still remain very taboo topics in society. Political leaders are frowned upon when their marriages’ crumble, religions isolate and shun those who break their martial vows, and people continue to look down on those who proceed to legally separate their households. With that being said, couples do not just decide to get a divorce for no particular reason. There must be something driving them towards marital dissatisfaction and further, driving them towards divorce.

    Read More

  • Sociological Imagination: The Issue Of Divorce In America

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    Divorce is prevalent in many parts of the developed world, it has been estimated that roughly 50% of marriages in America up until the 1980’s ended in divorce (Rutter). Divorce is arguably a personal hardship for both partners and their children, in that the stress of the divorce places both men and women at varying risks of psychological and physical health problems (Hetherington, Stanley-Hagan and Anderson 1989). However, using C. Wright mills’ definition of the “Sociological Imagination” we begin to view divorce as not just a personal problem of a particular man or woman, but as a societal concern that affects a wider category of people at a personal level. Therefore this essay will examine the societal structures which contribute to divorce

    Read More

  • Does Divorce Affect Children Negatively?

    1374 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lach, Jennifer. “The Consequences Of Divorce.” American Demographics 21.10 (1999): 14. MAS Ultra – School Edition.Web. 26 Feb. 2014.

    Read More

  • The High Divorce Rate in the United States

    1036 Words  | 3 Pages

    Marriage is a commitment that seems to be getting harder to keep. The social standards placed on an individual by society and influenced by the media inevitably lead some to consider divorce as a “quick-fix” option. “Have it your way” has become a motto in the United States. It has become a country without any consideration of the psychological effects of marriage and divorce. The overwhelmingly high divorce rate is caused by a lack of moral beliefs and marital expectations.

    Read More

  • Divorce and Its Effect On Children

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    Zimiles, H. (2004). Schismatic studies of divorce: Essay reviews of for better or for worse: Divorce reconsidered by e.m. hetherington and j. kelly and of the unexpected legacy of divorce by j.s. wallerstein, j.m. lewis and s. blakesfee. Human development, 47(4), 239-250.

    Read More

  • Divorce Should Be Harder to Obtain

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    Divorce should be harder to obtain due to the effect that it has on children the main effect it has on the children is depression. “ In the short term divorce is always troublesome for children Mavis Hetherington videotaped and scrutinized the workings of 1400 divorced families since the early 1970’s. Hetherington pinpoints a crisis period of about two years in the immediate aftermath of separation when the adults, preoccupied with their own lives, typically takes their eye off parenting just when their children are reeling from loss and feeling bewildered” (Hethrington 2). This article states that the short term effect of divorce affects the kid deep because they feel that they lost one forever and in those 1400 many of the kids felt the effect of the divorce. “Wallerstein has told us that divorce abruptly ends kids’ childhood, filling it with loneliness and worry about their parents, and hurting them prematurely and recklessly into adolescence. (Wallerstein 2).” This later affects the kids life because they try to think of happy memories they had but really all they can think about is the parent that they loss due to the divorce. “Contrary to the popular perceptions, the alternative to most divorces is not life in a war zone. Though more than 50 percent of all marriages currently end in divorce, experts tell us that only about 15 percent of all unions involve high levels of conflict. In the vast number of divorces, then, there is no gross strife or violence that could warp a youngster’s childhood. The majority of marital break-ups are driven by a quest for greener grass—and in these cases the children will almost always be worse off. (Zinsmeister 2)” this proves to me that when people get a divorce they most of the time don’t ...

    Read More

  • The Negative Effects Of Divorce On The Family

    1671 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many Americans would be shock to learn that “in America, there is one divorce approximately every 36 seconds. That’s nearly 2,400 divorces per day, 16,800 divorces per week and 876000 divorces a year” (32 Shocking). Divorce causes many negative effects and has become too accepted in society. Children and parents are affected physically through the divorce process. There are psychological effects for the members of the family that are involved. The negative impacts on the family’s future life should be taken into consideration.

    Read More

  • Sociological Analysis of Divorce

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    Sociological Analysis of Divorce as a Social Problem and Proposed Solutions Every year approximately 2.4 million marriages occur. Out of those,2.1 millionwill file for divorce in the United States. These marriage and divorce rates have significantly increased since the years past(Coltrane and Adams, 364).According to Schoen, in the 1950’s, 15 out of 1,000 marriages ended in divorce. In the 1970’s, the rates of divorcedoubled,increasing to 40 per 1,000 marriages. Currently, the rate of marriages resulting in divorce remains the same.

    Read More

  • Divorce Rhtorical Analysis

    1125 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most people, when thinking about divorce, worry about the impact that it has on the children that are involved. Even though children are most likely better off if totally incompatible parents separate instead of staying together, divorce is about loss and change, and it is still hard for children. Everyone knows that divorce has its effects on children. There are three different sources that try to explain these effects. Graham Blaine Jr. states that divorce is a threat to all children, whereas Rhona Mahony states that divorce is not always the cause of behavioral or academic problems in children coming from divorced families. Yvette Walczak and Sheila Burns state that the extent of the damage can be determined by the parents and their methods of explanation to the children.

    Read More

  • Sociological Effects of Divorce

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    Girgis, George, & Anderson (2011) define marriage as the union of a man and a woman who make a permanent and exclusive commitment to each other of the type that is naturally (inherently) fulfilled by bearing and rearing children together. These marriages are intended to last eternity and are partially accomplished by raising children together, yet four of every ten marriages lead to divorce and of these divorces, 35% involve children (Ambert, 2009). Children tend to blame themselves for the divorce and are usually caught in the crossfire. These divorces lead to both stress and depression for children and without a strong sense of family, children will have a huge disadvantage over children with a stable healthy family (Arreola, Hartounian, Kurges, Maultasch, & Retana, 2013). Without the ability to cope with the stress of a divorce, children can be effected in multiple ways including a change in mentality, unacceptable behavioural traits and both short and long term emotional factors that will ultimately lead to a critical issue in child development.

    Read More

  • Effects of Divorce on a Child

    1448 Words  | 3 Pages

    Divorce is a very common word in today's society. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, "divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage or a complete or radical severance of closely connected things"(Pickett, 2000). This dissolution of marriage has increased very rapidly in the past fifty years. In 1950 the ratio of divorce to marriage was one in every four; in 1977 that statistic became one in two. Currently one in every two first marriages results in divorce. In second marriages that figure is considerably higher, with a 67% average (National Vital Statistics Report, 2001). One critical aspect of divorce is often not taken into consideration: How it affects children. Every year 1.1 million children are affected by divorce (Benjamin, 2000). Children from divorce or separation often exhibit behavioral and long-term adjustment problems (Kelly, 2000). Throughout this paper I will discuss divorces effects on children at different age levels, how they react, and what can be done to help them.

    Read More

  • Evolution of the Typical American Family

    1382 Words  | 3 Pages

    One tough thing about today's American family is divorce. In 1816, one marriage out of one hundred ended in divorce. Then between the years 1869-1888, divorce increased up to one hundred and fifty percent. And the worse, between the years 1960-1980, the divorce rate increased up to two hundred and fifty percent. Divorce rates peaked in 1981 and then started to decline a little during the mid 1980's. However, divorce rates now are as high as they have ever been. Now fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. There are five reasons for the increase in divorce. The first reason is in modern societies; individual happiness is regarded to be important so when people are unhappy with their marriage, they break-up and split. The second reason is it is easier to get divorced financially. The third reason is that women's economic independence has contributed. The fourth reason is the stigma of divorce has lessened so people are not

    Read More

  • The Effects of Divorce on Children's Mental Health

    1197 Words  | 3 Pages

    Considering that over 45 percent of marriages today end in divorce, it is crucial to understand recent research regarding the positive and negative effects of divorce on children’s mental health. Studies have shown that although children of broken homes generally have more adjustment difficulties than children of intact families, the distinction between these two groups appears to be much less significant than previously assumed (1). In the case of parental separation, studies suggest that children undergo a decline in the standard of living, exhibit poorer academic performance, engage in increased alcohol/ substance abuse, as well as experience diminishing rates of employment. However, underlying factors must be taken into consideration when assessing the long-term consequence of divorce on children, which happens to be resiliency rather than dysfunction (1). These key contextual factors that influence post-divorce adjustment include parenting styles, custody arrangements, age of the child, financial stability, and most importantly, the nature and magnitude of parental conflict. Persistent, unsettled conflict or violence is linked to greater emotional anxiety and psychological maladjustment in children, whereas negative symptoms like fear and insecurity are reduced when parents resolve their conflicts through compromise and negotiation. Although divorce unveils many risk factors involving a child’s health, it may be more beneficial rather than detrimental to children living in highly discorded families, in which children are able to acquire externalizing and internalizing behaviors (1). The development of coping skills and living in a supportive and empathetic environment are two crucial components for children to manage their ne...

    Read More

  • Children of Divorced Parents

    1411 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is unfortunate that marriages sometimes end and there are children caught in the middle of the marriage but it may be worst for the parents to stay together simply for the children’s sake. However when parents do divorce the children are the most effected by the divorce. Often enough the divorce causes children to feel displaced and also to have feelings that their world is coming to an end. These children tend to grow into adults with either extreme emotional detachment and self-esteem issues or they will have strong family values and try to prevent the cycle from repeating itself but the majority of these children grow up suffering from the divorce.

    Read More

  • Children Essay: The Effects Of Divorce On Children

    1193 Words  | 3 Pages

    (2009). The effects of divorce on children (Order No. 1470847). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Full Text. (304998358). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304998358?accountid=458

    Read More

More about Argumentative Essay Divorce

Open Document