The Effects of Divorce on Children

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Two out of five children will experience the divorce of their parents before they reach age eighteen (D. Matthews). Research suggests that divorce creates harm to children and affects development of children in a variety of ways. Research also suggests that divorce also has both short-term and long term effects on children. This paper will focus on the history of divorce in our society and current statistics, how divorce affects the level of trust in familial and social relationships, and how divorce creates an unhealthy state of confusion in children/adolescents. The statistics of divorce are only growing. The 1970’s was a time when divorce rates were high. Information gathered in a study of long term effects on divorce on children state that divorce rates grew 70 percent in the U.S. from 1970 to 1977. The facts in the long term effects study show that the reality of divorce today is 2 of 5 children will experience divorce before they reach the age of 18, about 25 percent children will spend some time in a step-family, and there are about 1,250,000 divorces per year (D. Matthews). What is known for sure is that divorce affects children. Trust and relationships are affected by parents divorcing. The definition of trust is the belief that someone or something that is reliable; a dependence on something future. Divorce affects the level of trust and can change how trust is managed in relationships. Trust is shaken when the child loses the the security of both parents living together, and girls and boys react differently to the divorce. “Girls feel a need for love and attention and fear abandonment, and be prone to both desire and anxiety” (Fagan & Churchill). It is a challenge for girls to make decisions about marriage and they ... ... middle of paper ... ...ind ways to support children of divorce and help support healthy trusting relationships and decrease the confusion that children feel. Children are the vulnerable ones in divorce and it is important to support the children. Works Cited Cameron, Leah “of Divorce, The Possible Negative Emotional and Psychological Consequences in Children ” ESSAI: Vol. 6, Article 15. http://dc.cod.edu/essai/vol6/issl/15. Debord, Karen. “The Effects of Divorce on Children.” Focus on Kids. n.d.Web. Apr 16 2014. Fagan, Patrick R. and Churchill, Aaron “Marri Research Research Sythesis” The Effects of Divorce on Children. Jan. 2012. Web. Apr 16 2014 Matthews, Wayne D. “Divorce on Children” Ces.ncsu.edu 05 Mar, 2011, Web 02. Mar. 2014 Pickhardt Carl “The Impact of Divorce on Young Children and Adolescents” Surviving (Your Childs) Adolesence. 19 Dec. 2011. Web. Apr 16 2014.

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