The Effects of Unconventional Guardians on the Behavior of Adolescents
We live in a society in which the unconventional or non-traditional family has become more or less the social norm. More and more households are divided or consist of blended families, single parents, gay and lesbian couples, etc., and it can have a major effect on the behavior of youth of today. A predominant factor in all of this is the incidence of divorce. Two people get married too early and decide to have children, then the marriage doesn’t work out for various reasons, and the children are forced to take on a new lifestyle, which can be extremely shocking and potentially traumatizing to them. This can lead to a variety of different behavior problems in adolescents. For example, in situations in which an adolescent feels like the parent isn’t emotionally available to him or her, the adolescent is much more likely to express aggressive or delinquent behavior because the adolescent feels like he or she has to internalize his or her issues (Van der Graaff, Branje, De Wied, & Meeus, 2012). The more parents are caught up in their personal lives (for example, divorce), the less likely that those parents will be emotionally available to their child. In contrast, many people claim that gay and lesbian couples are unfit to raise children; however studies show that said children are equally advantaged academically, socially, and emotionally as their peers (Amato, 2012). Both sides of the spectrum are important to address because many adults don’t recognize the long-term effects of a marriage. Some people talk down about gay marriage being detrimental to the health of children, and yet a leading factor in adolescent delinquents rests in divorce, which predominantly ...
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...parent, and so power often can't be shared equally between both adults because the children don't respect the authority of the other spouse. Before a step-parent is even found, it's very common for one of the two parents to digress to almost a teenage state of egocentrism in finding another partner for his or herself (Amato & Cheadle, 2008). Their focus diverts from raising the children and drives a wedge in between them and their child – especially when the child is in a crucial state of development, between the ages of three and six. This wedge is furthered in remarriage and is cause for antisocial behavior, anxiety, substance abuse and many latent psychological issues to immerse later on (Amato & Cheadle, 2008). Specific phobias, major depression, and alcohol abuse are among the top three psychological disorders related to divorced families (Breslau et al, 2011).
The United States Census Bureau defines family as “a group [of] any two or more people (not necessarily including a householder) residing, together, and related by birth, marriage, or adoption. A household may be composed of one such group, more than one, or none at all. The count of family groups includes family households, related subfamilies, and unrelated subfamilies.” A family composition is redefined due to remarried families with stepchildren, single-parent households, or other family forms that are caused by divorce. This form of families also redefines the roles of each family member. However, children are the most affected by the separation of parents because of an overdependence on older siblings. Dr. Bren Neale and Dr. Jennifer Flowerdew, who are both affiliated with University of Leeds UK, carried out a research of children’s non-beneficial effects of divorced parents. As they stated in their academic article in “New Structures, New Agency: The Dynamics of Child-Parent Relationships After Divorce,” “sibling can play a significant ro...
Although sixteen states have legalized same-sex marriage, the idea of same-sex parenting remains a controversial topic in America. As American families continue to vary from the traditional heterosexual husband and wife headed families, developmental differences among the children reared by two lesbians or two gay men pique the interest of both the public and developmental psychologists. Perhaps children raised by two mothers or two fathers will exhibit much different gender role behaviors and identify differently with their gender than children reared by heterosexual parents. By observing children raised by different parental groups the possible differences, and subsequent benefits, in gender identity and sex roles can be discerned.
In recent years, gay and lesbian parenting has been a discussion of huge debate across the nation. It’s a subject with such heated conversation like that of, politics. This has also been in the interest of many studies, about how it effects a child raised by that of a two males or two females. Among other debates that involve gay and lesbian couples such as, gay marriage or gay rights. These rights have often been taken for granted by many of Americans, but while gay and lesbians are denied most of these rights. The three biggest factors that are talk about in the parenting of children by gay and lesbian parents is that of; A child needs both a mother and a father to be properly raised, a family is a male, female, and children and last and one of the most talked about is the negative effects it has on the child as they grow up and face the world with two openly homosexual parents; a “mom” and “dad. While I believe that every gay and lesbian person should be able to raise a family, just as any other person; I do have a fear for the child’s well-being, simply because of the society we live in today and the crude criticism they may face.
The emergence of gays and lesbians from the shadows of perceived deviancy has led to the formation of civil unions and in an increasingly number of states, marriage. As society has become more open and accepting of homosexuals, an increased number of gay men and women have “come out” of the proverbial closet. These closeted individuals may have previously been married in heterosexual unions and produced offspring prior to freeing themselves of fear and societal constraints. This gives rise to a new interpretation of the blended family. The gay and lesbian blended family. Many gays and lesbians have opted to cohabitate as a family unit merging the heterosexual and homosexual familial entity. Despite the controversies, gays and lesbians with children are becoming more and more a part of the American family landscape. Increasingly, there are blended families with two moms or two dads. During the past decade, the number of same-sex households “grew significantly” in 10 states for which figures have been released: more than 700 percent in Delaware and Nevada; more than 400 percent in Vermont, Indiana, Louisiana and Nebraska; and more than 200 percent in Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts and
Shapiro, Joseph P., Gregory Stephen. “Kids with Gay Parents.” U.S News and World Report. 121.11
On most occasions, divorces leads to children shifting from one district school to another leading to emotional disruption since they require emotional adjustments. After divorces, when there are second families, there are the unique problems of step families (Howe, 2012). Children may not be comfortable with step families since they may treat them unequally compared to their own children. Research has shown that most children suffer silently under the care of step parents. Subsequent marriages are less likely to work out than first marriages and hence it may require further adjustments to the lifestyles of the children. Studies that even though the subsequent marriages may work for the parents, the same success does not always trickle down to the children and hence they end up getting a raw
The empirical data found proposes lesbian parent couples were more equ... ... middle of paper ... ... df This study examined associations among family type (same-sex vs. opposite-sex parents); family and relationship variables; and the psychosocial adjustment, school outcomes, and romantic attractions and behaviors of adolescents. Participants included 44 12- to 18-year-old adolescents parented by same-sex couples and 44 same-aged adolescents parented by opposite-sex couples, matched on demographic characteristics and drawn from a national sample. Normative analyses indicated that, on measures of psychosocial adjustment and school outcomes, adolescents were functioning well, and their adjustment was not generally associated with family type.
Many people have problems with accepting and loving themselves the way they are, especially children of divorce. To have the feeling of not being good enough can make accomplishing everyday tasks just that much harder. Dr. Amy J. L. Baker, researcher and coach in parental alienation, studied the different divorce related impacts on an adolescents’ adult life. Dr. Baker states that, “Because the participants [children of divorce] felt that the “bad” parent was part of them (genetically as well as through an early relationship) they felt that they must also be bad.” (293). Dr. Baker proved that children of divorce may start to believe that they are “bad” just by being biologically connected to the bad parent. That way of thinking can cause even the most cheerful and brilliant children, to grow up into a depressed and mentally frustrated
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...
Despite the transition, little consideration has been given to understanding the growing population of gay adolescents. 25% of American families are likely to have a gay child (Hidalgo 24); In the United States, three million adolescents are estimated to be homosexual. Yet, American society still ignores gay adolescents. Majority of children are raised in heterosexual families, taught in heterosexual establishments, and put in heterosexual peer groups. Gay adolescents often feel forced by parents to pass as “heterosexually normal” (Herdt 2). As a result, homosexual teens hide their sexual orientation and feelings, especially from their parents. Limited research conducted on gay young adults on disclosure to parents generally suggests that disclosure is a time of familial crisis and emotional distress. Very few researchers argue that disclosure to parents results in happiness, bringing parents and children closer (Ben-Ari 90).
“Children of divorce are more than twice as likely to have serious social, emotional, or psychological problems as children of intact families…” (Parke, Mary, “Are Married Parents Really Better for Children?” p. 4). Not receiving the support and nurturing that is needed from both parents during adolescents can affect the future decisions made by children at a later stage in their lives. The guidance that is needed for children to make their life long decisions such as continuing education, certain situation thinking processes and decisions. Divorced parents will face loss of income compared to a two parent income, depression, and self-acceptance. Separating mothers and fathers in a childbearing family will lead the mother or father to having to split the roles or replace the role of the other parent in the household while the child might only be allowed to live with one parent for a certain amount of time. Single parent childbearing families face dependency among government support programs while the single parent may or may not be receiving child support that alone is not enough to remove the financial burden that single parents incur. Children often find this difficult having to move back and forth from two homes rather than having one home. Single parents who may later decide to marry often times face large scale problems as a result of becoming blended. This includes methods of parenting
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...
According to the National Survey of Children’s Health, Adolescents aged six to seventeen who grew up with only one biological parent and one stepparent exhibited the highest results when it comes to being disobedient (www.marripedia.org). These statistics are crucial due to the fact that children who misbehave can have more difficulties adjusting to adulthood compared to those who grew up with both biological parents. When adolescents get to that stage in their life where they are entering adulthood the trouble they get into can develop and grow to be detrimental to their role in society. Many of these types of children are more attracted to rebelling and most have psychological issues that may have been neglected. Parents do need to be attentive to those red flags which indicate a negative change in behavior. Going into a divorce increases this rebel-like conduct and will leave parents with the task of raising a disobedient
There indicators of child developmental outcomes were categorized into parent and child relationship quality, children’s cognitive development, children’s gender role behavior, children’s gender identity, children’s sexual preference, and children’s social and emotional development. There analysis showed that children with same-sex parents fared equally to children raised by heterosexual parents when comparing developmental outcomes. Same-sex parents also reported a significantly better relationship with their children than heterosexual parents, which was measured by the parent or child perception of the quality of their relationship. This goes back to the argument that parent sexuality has no impact on the child but rather the relationship between the parent and the child has is the most impactful. In Crowl, Ahn and Baker (2008) meta-analysis study also found that the parent sexual orientation had no effect on gender identity, cognitive development, psychological adjustment, and sexual
Marriage naturally creates families; it provides the conditions for a healthy environment that is beneficial to the upbringing of children. Opponents of same-sex marriage often ground their arguments on parental and religious concerns. Many argue that sa...