Short term and long term effects
A study done by Hetherington and Kelly (2002) showed that 25% of people whose parents divorced had serious long term effects on them, these included: social, emotional and psychological issues. The other 75% whose parents divorced did not suffer any long-term issues into adult hood (Lansford, 2009). However divorce can be related to behaviour problems even at a very young age, but it is usually a small amount of children or adults that suffer with long term effects (Lansford, 2009). It is important to note that the lingering feelings do not count as long-term effects, these are natural and expected but do not count (Kelly and Emery, 2003). An important factor to take into account is how long the child has lived with both parents before the divorce, for example research has shown that when a family breaks down that has been together for a long time, it can have a worse effect and harder to adjust for the child (Mooney, Oliver and Smith, 2009). Short-term adjustments and effects are higher in children, due to the child having to come to terms with the divorce, however these symptoms lessen as the child comes to term with the family break down and begin to adjust, the short-term distress that the children face usually lessens (Lansford, 2009; Mooney, Oliver and Smith, 2009).
Living arrangements
Another adjustment that a child must make after a divorce is living arrangements, whether or not they are asked or told about where they are going to live or wish to live. For example, some children are in ‘shared custody’ and go back and forth between homes. This can be emotional, frustrating and tiring for children, as they must deal with the emotions that moving back and forth arises. Another example is th...
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...en it came to telling children under ten that their parents were going to split up only 52% recall being told by their parents. As stated before, it is harder for younger children to come to terms with their parents’ divorce and it would be even harder for them to come to terms with not being told. It was also reported that 67% of children believed that they should have been asked, whilst 64% reported that they were not asked for their views on the situation (Butler et al., 2002). Children reported that not having a parent explain what was going on to them felt like they were being left out of the decisions and the family (Butler et al., 2002). Being informed about what is happening and what is inevitably going to happen seems to be a vital part of what children want during a family breakdown. This is because it gives them their own sort of control over the situation
Gindes, Marion. "The Psychological Effects of Relocation for Children of Divorce." Psychological Effects of Relocaction 15 (1998): 119-148.
They have to get used to a further living area, feelings and circumstances. Their response to divorce can vary and depends on age, gender, and personal characteristics. This essay will show the effects of divorce on children under various aspects such as educational, psychological and social impact. In addition, it will contain data about the divorce rate in the US and present disparate reactions of children. It will also include adequate recommendations for parents as to how to act on children after divorce, in order to minimize the adverse effect on children.
The first study to be considered is a qualitative study which spanned a 25 year period and looked at 131 children from divorced families of the 1970’s. It was specifically concerned with growth and development (psychologically and socially) of these children post divorce and had extensive follow-up interviews with both parents and children at 18 months, 5, 10 and 25 year marks. At the 25 year follow-up a comparison group of adult children from intact families who had otherwise similar backgrounds were also interviewed. Some of these “intact” families were ideal while others were filled with conflict, most were somewhere in the middle. This study found a casual relationship between divorce itself and the well-being of the children which was significant all the way into adulthood. The study found that parental conflicts from before the divorce were not dominant in the children’s memories but unhappiness was related mostly to the separation itself (most children in this study had no expectations of the breakup prior to it occurring). The exception to this is when violent events occurred as with 25% of c...
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.
Divorce impacts the children involved more severely than recognized. When a child is introduced to the massive change of divorce, it intensifies the child’s dependence on a parent. Forty-three percent of children in America today are growing up being raised without sight of their fathers. Not only are children severely affected by divorce between their parents, but they are also more likely to be raised in a household with an income below the poverty line. A child exp...
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...
Gindes, Marion. The Psychological Effects of Relocation for Children of Divorce.Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers 15 (1998): 128-29. American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.Web. 4 Nov. 2013. .
In my opinion, coming from my situation with divorced parents, divorce obviously has its effects on children but the effects are not always terrible and it does not scar every child that is involved. Divorce is an easy way out of something a couple might be able to work through. I am not saying that divorce is never okay I just think people do not try hard enough to fix their relationship because they obviously married that person for a reason. I do agree with most of the articles conclusions such as Monden’s when he concludes that there is no pattern in which person in the relationship is affected the most and it is completely individual. I enjoyed Marcassa’s article because it was about the rates of divorce. Her study separates men and women divorces and considers concepts like if they had children and/or if they were in the work force. She concludes that divorce rates are higher in 20-44 years olds compared to the elderly. Arkes makes it seem like children with divorced parents are terrible kids. I do not think that divorce affects all children in a terrible way. Arkes says, “After the divorce, youth have an increased risk of using alcohol and marijuana….The magnitudes of the effects persist as the time passes form the divorce” (Arkes, 2013). Weaver and Schofield’s article suggests some other reasons as to why children have behavior problems after divorce. These reasons being family income, maternal
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
Children who are raised by divorced parents are likely to be introverts and have difficulty throughout their lifetime. “According to the Office of National Statistics, at the present divorce rate, 45% of marriages are likely to end in divorce, half of those marriages will end in the first 10 years of marriage” (ONS). Many studies have shown that children that experience a divorce have more behavioral and conduct problems when compared with children in intact two-parent families. Individuals have long-term effects from divorce as they undergo this life-altering process, the transition process from an intact two-parent family to a one parent home, and having two separate homes, is very troublesome. The physiological damage leaves a scar, with
Divorce isn’t always as bad as people portray it. Commonly realized, divorce isn’t a great thing to happen to a family. But being in a bad relationship can have more negative effects on a child than divorce. In a study conducted of 98 couples, that later divorced, 80% of their children felt that their parents split was a good decision. Of the 20% that felt it wasn’t a good decision, most came from more abusive families. Being together in a bad relationship can actually cause more harm than good. Parents commonly think that by staying together for the kid’s sake will it eliminate negative effects and help their kids thrive. Nevertheless they see their parents unhappiness creating a more tense environment. Provided that the parents are abusive or are more vocal about their opinions then it can actually create a traumatic environment around the child, making them feel unsafe or timid constantly. What the minority of people know is that divorce can actually give kids positive vibes. Divorce can teach kids to focus on the positives and keep moving forward in life. In a Harper Collins book it says (We’re still family: What grown Children have to say about their parents divorce) that “ kids more commonly emerge wiser in spite of- or perhaps because of- their complex histories.” Multiple studies have proven, kids who have experienced divorce emerge mo...
The divorce damages the parent-child relationship for as many 40 percent of divorced mothers (Amato and Afifi, 2006). They do not receive at home support like children who do not have divorced parents. The parents tend to show less emotional support towards the child. There is a sense of neglect because the parents are so caught up in their personal life, that they do not see their child suffering. In younger children, there is a presence of fewer toys, possibly because their parent tried moving out of their house quickly.
Marriage is no longer taken seriously; commitment and monogamy are no longer an essential ingredient. For most couples today, it’s not even considered a part of marriage. The negative effects that divorce has on children should be the number one consideration when a couple hits that hard time in their relationship. Children are psychologically and socially affected by divorce and may need counseling either at the time of their parent’s divorce or in the future. They may react instantly by getting lower grades or becoming depressed or anxious.
There are a lot of emotional tolls that come from it as well. The divorce alone is not the only thing that causes children to act in such a negative way. Fighting that occurs in the household causes increased reactions to the situation (Oppawsky, 2000). As anyone would guess precursors to divorce and divorce lead to more crying. It is not just more crying though, it also children are crying for longer periods of time (Oppawsky, 2000). Thinking about it, it makes sense for this to occur. Divorce is a sad time for any child because no one wants to see his or her parents split up. In Oppawsky’s (2000), report children also experienced different variations of sadness as well as feeling shame with what was occurring in their family unit. Problems with emotional instability arise when children start to express anger towards their parents. Depending on how conflicts were being handled at home and a child’s coping abilities a number of negative feelings could be expressed towards parents (Oppawsky, 2000). One little girl recalled her situation “a terrifying time of loneliness” because she felt so much hatred to her parents she wanted nothing to do with them (Oppawsky, 2000). The biggest emotional response from children was fear. Being in the situation children did not know what was going to come from it. They feared the unknown, losing contact a parent, and worst of all they feared death (Oppawsky, 2000). Some children
In the world we live in today, divorce has unfortunately become a normal thing in our lives. Many married couples are getting divorced for many reasons; problems in the marriage, either a spouse having an affair, a loss of feelings, and many other types of complications. Many divorces involve children who are young and due to their age do not understand what is really going on. We all know someone who has dealt with divorce. Children are the ones who are typically affected the most by the divorce and they will have to learn to cope with their parent’s divorce at such a young age, affecting them in positive or negative ways.