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Social effects of divorce on children
Social effects of divorce on children
Research on how divorce affects children
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Once upon a time, a traditional family structure was created by one man marrying one woman and procreating. Within the last few years, this has begun to change. Family structures are now being changed and created through divorce and remarriage, same-sex partners, and single-parents. When the leaders of these family structures can no longer co-exist, divorce or separation comes. If children are involved, a custody agreement needs to be arranged. A custody agreement never seems to be black and white especially with new family structures evolving. When it comes to same-sex parents, how are children supposed to split their time equally? The traditional belief of a child needing a mother and a father no longer applies in these relationships. This can be very hard on a child especially if the parents cannot agree, and it turns into a custody battle. Children are torn between the parents and many psychological issues evolve. Child custody battles are usually never easy on a child because they can create emotional conflict, academic stress, and other social related stress factors. Child custody battles do not always have to be negative and create emotional conflict in a child’s life. When it comes to a custody battle, parents need to learn to keep their feelings about the other parent away from the child. If the parents are able to stay amiable and cordial to one another, the child will see that it is not going to be all bad. Dr. Judith Myers-Wall, associate professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies, and Nithyakala Karruppaswamy, co-writer, advise parents going through custody battles to give children information. Myers-Wall and Karruppawamy (2013) say, “Children adjust bet... ... middle of paper ... ...om http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.hacc.edu/docview/213934725?accountid=11302 Kim, H. (2011). Divorce plagues kids' social, academic lives for years [Web series episode]. In Fox News. Fox News Network, LLC. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/06/02/divorce-plagues-kids-social-academic-lives-for-years/ Levy, D. (2008). Shared parenting is better than sole custody. Policy & Practice, 66(2), 26. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.hacc.edu/docview/208198500?accountid=11302 Lyness, D. (2013, September). Becoming a stepparent. Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/stepparent.html?tracking=P_RelatedArticle Myers-Walls, J., & Karuppaswamy, N. (2013). The effect of divorce on children: What makes a difference. Retrieved from https://www.extension.purdue.edu/providerparent/family-child relationships/effectdivorce.htm
In this day and age there are many variations of what constitutes a couple or family in comparison to many years ago. Long ago the idea of a ‘nuclear family’ was considered the norm; it consisted of the conventional husband, wife and children . But as our society progressed through the years this definition became less conventional and criticisms were made, this definition of ‘family’ did not account for gay unions, soul parents nor did it acknowledge the prevalence of extended family. The definition of family has changed over time, as have the socially defined roles of mothers and fathers. Within these varied family units, situations occur in which divorces and separations take place and a lot of the times these tricky situations may involve children, which can make an already tricky situation even more problematic. There are pieces of legislation which are in place which aim to protect the best interests of a child during the time their parents are going through divorce but sometimes these avenues can be more problematic and ultimately destroy unions whereas other avenues of dispute resolution such as mediation, albeit with its own criticisms, helps to keep relationships afoot in that it provides an opportunity for peaceful and mutual agreements to be made in a more laid back environment.
Child custody evaluations cover multiple issues such as custody, maintenance, support, valuation, visitation, relocation, and termination of parental rights. There are multiple forms of custody that can result from a child custody evaluation. First is physical custody which is defined as “how much time a child spends with each parent, if the parents share physical custody” (Costanzo & Krauss, 2012). Another form of custody is legal custody, which gives a parent the authority to decide certain influential factors in the child’s life (Costanzo & Krauss, 2012). Joint legal custody is also an option. Another form of custody is sole custody which is defined as “one parent has legal and physical custody while the other typically has agreed upon some rights to visit the child at regular intervals” (Costanzo & Krauss, 2012). “Most custody decisions – about 90% - are made without resorting to litigation” (Costanzo & Krauss, 2012). “Estimates of actual custody arrangements in...
With the increase of divorce and the number of children being born out of wedlock, parental alienation continues to grow. With custody laws changing, allowing for equal opportunities for both parents to raise their children, and fathers beginning to fight for their right to be involved, not just every other weekend fathers, custody battles have become increasingly fierce. Another factor contributing to this is the fact that many courts consider who will be more willing to encourage the child to have a heathly and continuing relationship with the other parent.
American Psychological Association (1994). Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings. American Psychologist, 47, 1597-1611.
Pasley, Kay. “The Long-Term Effects Of Divorce.” Stepfamilies 16.1 (1996): 11. MAS Ultra – School Edition.Web. 26 Feb. 2014.
In retrospect, joint custody causes children to obtain the best childhood possible and also provides stability within the mental and physical aspects of a child’s family
Divorce is becoming a worldwide phenomenon, significantly affecting children’s well-being. It radically changes their future, causing detrimental effects. According to (Julio Cáceres-Delpiano and Eugenio Giolito, 2008) nearly 50% of marriages end with divorce. 90% of children who lived in the USA in the 1960s stayed with their own biological parents, whereas today it makes up only 40% (Hetherington, E. Mavis, and Margaret Stanley-Hagan, 1999). Such an unfavorable problem has been increasing, because in 1969, the California State Legislature changed the divorce laws, where spouses could leave without providing cause (Child Study Center, 2001).
Divorce is a heavy concept that has many implications for those involved. The situation becomes even more consequential when children are considered. As divorce has become more commonplace in society, millions of children are affected by the separation of the nuclear family. How far-reaching are these effects? And is there a time when divorce is beneficial to the lives of the children? This paper will examine some of the major research and several different perspectives regarding the outcomes of divorce for the children involved, and whether it can actually be in the best interest of the kids.
Zinsmeister, Karl. "Divorce's Toll on Children." American Enterprise. May/June 1996: 39-44. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 04 May. 2014.
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.
When a couple with a child chooses to get a divorce this can have major impact on a child at any age. There are many causes of stress throughout the divorce process that can negatively affect children. First, negative reactions and behaviors are dependent upon the situation before the divorce. Some studies show that how much parents fight, how it is done, how it is resolved, and what precautions are taken to protect the children from it's effects are the most important predictors of child adjustment (Kelly, 2000). Meaning that if children are exposed to fights about custody, money, or the failing marriage they could feel the repercussions of their parents conflict. Next, divorce can cause children to have heightened fear...
Amato, P. R. (2000). The consequences of divorce for adults and children. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62(4), 1269-1287.
Children will be suffered conflict with the interaction with their parents and siblings, and other aspects in their family life by cause of the divorce (Berk, 2010). Some parents who decide to get divorced that they were waiting the time on arguments and fights. Also, these parents use their children to punishment to one to each other. For this situation, children have a lot of conflicts on their emotions, and they have issues in their security. For instance, the custody’s fights are the biggest battle during the separation, and parents develop a lot of stress during this process. In the majority of the cases, mothers have the custody of their children, and they have to raise as a single mother. Also, the children tend to develop a lot of fears and about what they want to do. The divorce brings several negatives on children, and children live with a lot of stress during the divorce process. As well as, each child is different, and they
Shiono, P., & Quinn, L. S. (1994). Epidemiology of Divorce . Children and divorce, 4. Retrieved April 17, 2014, from http://futureofchildren.org/publications/journals/article/index.xml?journalid=63&articleid=408§ionid=2781
Even though divorce is not commonly thought of as a good thing, it sometimes can have a positive outcome such as the children and parents being happy, and allowing the children to mature. Parents being separated can be better for the kids because they won’t have to deal with the parents fighting. If the kids are put in a better and stable environment it can affect them in positive ways. Sometimes divorce is better for the child if they have been in the environm...