--Original published at jennacampanellipsych

These days divorce rates are very high, 40-50% of married couples in the United States get divorced. With so many divorces, you have to look at the consequences and effects on children of these failed marriages. It is a debate that has been going on for years- does divorce effect the children of the marriage?

According to a Psychology Today article, divorce has a negative effect on children, even if they are adults. The author says, in her experience of having divorced parents, there is self blame for the child which causes grades and extracurricular activities in school to drop. She also talks about how her life lost a parent from the divorce, leaving her unsupervised with a single parent who was depressed from the divorce. For adults, she says it affected her relationships because she was scared to trust someone knowing they could leave. She says she also went into her marriage knowing she could divorce, after being exposed to that as a child. She ends the article by saying divorce has lifelong effects, and they are not good.

In another article titled, “The Psychological Effects of Divorce on Children”, they go through how divorce at all different ages effects children. They say young children cannot fully understand it and worry if their parents may stop loving them, just as they did with each other. For grade school age children, they say children blame themselves and think they did something wrong. In teenagers, it is common for them to blame one parent and become angry. The article then goes on to talk about the risk of mental health and behavior problems. Both of these have higher rates for children who have experienced divorce, including, anxiety, psychological, and behavior with peers issues. They say that adults are also effected by having a higher rate of substance use problems and mental health issues. 

On the other side of things, Psychology Today posted another article, titled, “Enhancing Positive Outcomes for Children of Divorce”. In this article, he talks about how divorce makes most children upset at first, yet it does not cause major problems that are lifelong. He also goes through ways to make divorce easier on children, by keeping them out of the issues between parents. He also says to be supportive and spend more time with the children for support. He says if the parents are supportive through the divorce, children can grow up without having problems. 

Another article titled, “Positive Effects of Divorce on Children” argues that divorce may be what is better for the children of the marriage, if the marriage is toxic and creating a harmful environment. She talks about if a marriage is abusive, the best thing for the children is to split up the parents and stop the fighting so children do not have to be around that. If the parents act civil toward each other after the divorce, it teaches children about relationships and how to handle things the right way. 

After these readings, I believe that divorce does have a negative effect on children, but if you handle it the correct way it will not effect them too bad for their lifetime. If the parents through and after the divorce put their children first, it will not be a huge negative effect on the children’s lives.

Sources Cited:

Boyd, Karie. “Positive Effects Of Divorce On Children.” Kids in the House, 8 July 2015, www.kidsinthehouse.com/blogs/karie-boyd/positive-effects-of-divorce-on-children. 

Farber, Neil. “Enhancing Positive Outcomes for Children of Divorce.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 30 Mar. 2018, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-blame-game/201803/enhancing-positive-outcomes-children-

Gumbiner, Jann. “Divorce Hurts Children, Even Grown Ones.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 31 Oct. 2011, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-teenage-mind/201110/divorce-hurts-children-even-grown-ones.

Morin, Amy, and Steven Gans. “The Psychological Effects of Divorce on Children.” Verywell Family, Verywellfamily, 24 Aug. 2018, http://www.verywellfamily.com/psychological-effects-of-divorce-on-kids-4140170.

--Original published at Marlee's Psych 105 Blog

Over the past decade, divorce has become more and more common in the United States. This means that more and more children are also being affected. In some families divorce is the only option to put the household at ease but what is controversial is the effect that it has on children. This debate is over how divorce can either leave a child with no emotional damage or can be totally destructive to their mental wellbeing.

In todays society, divorce is seen as a relatively normal thing compared to that of ten years ago. Divorce happens very frequently in todays day in age; people change and so do their wants and needs. When we look at divorce the first thing that is brought to our attention is who gets the house, car, beach house, etc., but what we should be taking a deeper look into is how the child is affected. According to Dr. Jane Anderson, “Each child and each family are obviously unique, with different strengths and weaknesses, different personalities and temperaments, and varying degrees of social, emotional, and economic resources, as well as differing family situations prior to divorce. Despite these differences, divorce has been shown to diminish a child’s future competence in all areas of life, including family relationships, education, emotional well-being, and future earning power.” To further explain Anderson’s thoughts, she also gives bulleted breakdowns to each factor that is influenced by divorce. These factors include: child’s loss of time with each parent, child’s loss of economic security, child’s loss of emotional security and lastly, a child with higher levels of emotional stress. All of these factors can result in an emotionally damaged child.

To support this Cornelia Brentano’s, Divorce: Causes and Consequences, states that depending on the age of the child the emotional results of the divorce can vary, but that all ages experience negative effects in some way. Specifically, “reactions vary with age, but across the board, children experience feelings of confusion and betrayal as they watch their family fall apart and feel neglected while their parents struggle with their own problems” (Brentano). Overall, children, no matter their age, will experience negative effects after a divorce.

Although, a large percentage of children who undergo a divorce, experience negative effects, there are some who come out unaffected and unchanged. According to The Washington Post, “Some children are simply more resilient to stress than others. Others manage to find safe niches that insulate them from the trauma of divorce. They may have a special relationship with another adult, or they may be buffered from the conflict by one parent.” This article argues how some children are simple unaffected by divorce. It explains how every chid is different and that they will have different emotional responses to the divorce itself. Reactions to divorce can be dependent on how well the child is able to cope and their temperament. In addition, Kendra Jolivet, tells us how in 2009 a group of teenagers were asked to fill out a survey on the topic of divorce. The response was very positive. Most teens when asked about divorce said that it made them feel more  independent and that they felt they were old enough to cope with the divorce itself.

Based on what I read, I think that divorce impacts children in a negative way. This negative impact, leads to multiple emotional hardships later on in life and can damage a child mentally. On the other hand, I do believe that if I child is placed in an environment that is dangerous do to the parents relationship, than a divorce can take place.

Anderson, J. (2014). The impact of family structure on the health of children: Effects of divorce. The Linacre Quarterly, 81(4), 378–387. Clarke-Stewart, Alison. (2006). Divorce: Causes and Concequences. Yale University Press, 2(5), 1-12. DIVORCE DOESN’T ALWAYS HURT THE KIDS. (1989, March 19). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1989/03/19/divorce-doesnt-always-hurt-the-kids/6432e596-b8d3-45f1-a3f7-0a1029a59240/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c08d55e4d884MLA (Modern Language Assoc.) Jolivet, Kendra Randall. The Psychological Impact of Divorce on Children: What is a Family Lawyer to Do? 2011. American Journal of Family Law, 25(4) . Date Accessed 7 October 2018.

APA (American Psychological Assoc.)
Clarke-Stewart, A., & Brentano, C. (2006). Divorce : Causes and Consequences. New Haven [Conn.]: Yale University Press

--Original published at Kaylyn's PSY105 Blog

Divorce can be a messy situation; especially, when children are involved, because it will turn their lives upside down. Since divorce is becoming more common, so have the arguments being made on both sides on how it affects a child’s wellbeing. Most people have evidence to support their argument on either side, if it affects the child drastically, or not. There are cases to support both sides; however, you also need to look at the credibility of the sources giving you the information. If not, then you could be caught up with information that is not true or is twisted to make it appeal to their side. Both sides of the coin have reasons to believe whether a child is drastically affected, or not, by their parents getting divorced. Jann Gumbiner is a clinical psychologist, and child of a divorced set of parents, which makes her passionate on the issue of divorce on children’s well-being. Being educated in mental health and being in a child of divorce’s shoes herself makes her a credible source because she had first-hand experience, and has education on mental health. She aligns herself on the side of people who believe divorce is an awful event that happens to the child and will impact them for the rest of their lives. She finds divorce to be selfish on the parent’s part, because they are putting their well-being, over the well-being of their children. In her situation, she did not have a stable family life after her parent’s divorced. Neither of her parents were there to place rules and enforce them. Her father was no longer prominent in her life and her mother became depressed, this caused her to become depressed and rebellious. She became frisky with male teenagers, her grades kept slipping due to lack of motivation, and she began to stop studying. She also believes that it will affect children in the long-term, when they enter into relationships of their own. Her experience with this issue is when she entered her future marriage and knew that she could leave. Due to her parent’s divorce, she has a passion with this issue, and she voices how it affected her throughout her life. Another source that believes that divorce is bad for children’s well-being is Wayne Parker who wrote an article for “VeryWell Family”. Wayne Parker is a certified life coach, and the author of a parenting book called “Power Dads”. He did not have a personal touch with divorce like Jann Gumbiner, and used many outside sources in the form of journals or published books. He discussed the physical, emotional, and educational effects of divorce on children. Parker pulled facts from the Journal of Health and Social Behavior 29 (1985), which spoke about children being 50 percent more likely to develop physical health related issues than in two parent households. When discussing emotional effects he pulled from multiple sources which claimed that children are a lot more likely to develop depression or other mental health issues when their parents are divorced. For educational effects, he pulled from a book which claimed that children of divorce are two times more likely to drop out of high school. Overall, he uses sources, rather than personal experience, to develop a case for parents to stick together for the sake of their children’s health. On the other side of the argument people believe that children are drastically/ negatively affected by divorce. In contrast to the two sources above, Susan Pease Gadoua, believes that sometimes divorce can be better than being in an unhappy marriage. Susan Pease Gadoua is a licensed therapist, and she also is the author/ co-author of multiple books on divorce and marriage. She is a believer that parents who divorce may be doing the best thing for their child in certain situations. Children can sense tension and would be just as easily affected by tension between parents, as they would if the parents become divorced. If the parents fight or show that they are unhappy that will have effects on the child. If you leave and are much happier because of it, you can still raise happy children with bright futures. She also points out the fact that you cannot test whether a child is affected heavily by a divorce, because you cannot put two families in the same situation. Also, there are too many other variables that may be happening in one family, and not in the other family they are being compared to. Every situation and every family are different; however, there are steps parents can take to make a divorce less problematic for the children. In agreement with the author above are Andrew Cherlin and Frank F. Furstenberg Jr. are both professors, and authors of a few books on families. In their article to The Washington Post, they write about how each situation is different for each child and family. Sometimes children in the same families will handle the situation differently because some children are better at handling stress. They also critiqued the book “Second Chances: Men, Women and Children a Decade After Divorce,” by psychologist Judith S. Wallerstein and journalist Sandra Blakeslee” (Cherlin and Furstenberg 1). They talked about how the claims were exaggerated and that the study lacked randomization since the families were referred. The authors make the argument that parents who stayed together in conflict-ridden marriages may cause their children equal, if not more, amounts of pain. Another factor is how the custodial parent acts after the divorce. If the parent is angry or depressed, it will cause the child more pain to see their parent in that situation, and the parent cannot help the child recover. Divorce is becoming a much more common situation than it was in the past, and when children are involved it can make a complicated situation more complicated. People want to make sure that the child can continue to be happy and healthy and some se divorce as ruining their chance at happiness. Although, on the other end, people see divorce as unique to each situation and people will react differently. In my opinion I can see some points on both sides; however, I believe that everyone is different and will handle divorce differently. Communication is a key factor in divorce because the children will not always understand what is going on and will need help to understand. Telling them that it is okay to feel what they are feeling and be willing to listen, can go a long way. Overall, I can see that divorces can happen and that children will not always be worse off; however, staying in an unhappy marriage can cause issues as well.   Works Cited Cherlin, Andrew, and Frank F Furstenberg . “DIVORCE DOESN’T ALWAYS HURT THE KIDS.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 Mar. 1989, http://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1989/03/19/divorce-doesnt-always-hurt-the-kids/6432e596-b8d3-45f1-a3f7-0a1029a59240/?utm_term=.c6428bf74291. Gadoua, Susan   Pease. “Divorce Doesn’t Harm Children – Parents Fighting Harms Child.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 15 Nov. 2009, http://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/contemplating-divorce/200911/divorce-doesnt-harm-children-parents-fighting-harms-child. Gumbiner, Jann. “Divorce Hurts Children, Even Grown Ones.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 31 Oct. 2011, http://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-teenage-mind/201110/divorce-hurts-children-even-grown-ones. Parker, Wayne. “Statistics About Divorce and the Impact It Can Have on Children.” Verywell Family, Verywellfamily, 25 Sept. 2018, http://www.verywellfamily.com/children-of-divorce-in-america-statistics-1270390.  

--Original published at Cecilia's Thoughts

Divorce is a prominent issue in not only today’s society, but also in my life specifically. I have lived through three separate divorces, my parents, and then each parent getting remarried and divorced again. Though I have gone through more than most, I believe that it has had both positive and negative effects on me and how I have turned out now that I am older. In order to determine which side is truly correct, i had to complete some research because my own life experiences just were not enough.

I began by looking at articles on the negative effects, the two articles I found were on MomJunction and Iowa State’s research website. The first one is written by Rohit Garoo who has a bachelor’s degree in science and a masters in business. I found this website to be credible by looking at the date of publication, the credentials of the author, as well as editors. This website is edited by a clinical psychologist and a bachelor of medicine. Due to all of these factors, I deemed this source credible. This article discussed ten negative effects of divorce on a child, five short-term effects and 5 long-term effects. Without discussing each of the ten effects I think the most influential effect for short-term is constant stress which is described by Garoo as the false responsibility of the divorce that the child thinks. The child puts this on themselves which can lead to so many other effects on the child. “This can lead to immense stress and pressure on the young mind, which can have several repercussions like negative thoughts and nightmares.” (Garoo, 2018) The second article I found on the negative effects of divorce on children is done by Iowa State and the article was written by Jayna Solinger, I deemed this credible because it is done by a scholarly institution, has an edu tag, and has works cited after the article. Though this article is credible, it’s one fault is that it is bias and is strongly against divorce and intensifies its effects. The general statement of this article is that it is better for everyone involved to work through the problems within a marriage instead of going through a divorce. Though I agree with the first source on the effects it has, I disagree with the second article because many divorces can lead to happy co-parenting and overall more of a positive atmosphere for the parents in each household and for the child going back and forth.

After researching negative effects, I then looked at positive effects. This may seem weird because the question may be asked, how can a failed marriage be good? The first article that I came across was from Psychology Today, written by Neil Farber who has a bachelors of science with honors in psychology who also completed dual Doctorate degrees in research in medicine, this provides a credible author, and a credible website, the date of publication is also recent.  This article addresses frequently asked questions about divorce and what the parents can do to help the children going through this and answers for these questions. At the end of the article, Farber discuss ways to have positive outcomes from the divorce and why you should do these things. The second article I retrieved from a website called Divorce and Your Money and it is written by Shawn Leamon who has a Masters of business studies. I chose this source because, though it is not written by a psychologist, it provides information on how in some cases, divorce is the better option. This article basically discusses how not all marriages can be saved, and staying together may be causing more stress on the child and the parents. With this Leamon touches on the fact that if the parents divorce this could lead to less stress, increased ability to adapt because if the child can make it through their parent’s divorce then they can adapt to anything. Shawn also discusses how it also allows how divorce gives the child on-on-one time with each parent (Leamon, 2017).

After reading these four articles on both the positive and negative effects I do not think there is a right or wrong side of the argument. There are both positive and negative effects when going through a divorce and I think that the right decision depends on each and every relationship because each one is unique. In some cases I think it is better for the parents to work through their issues, but in other cases I think it is worse to stay together and put the children and themselves through the constant fighting and conflict. Ultimately it is most important to look at your own relationship and decide what is best for the family, whether the pros outweigh the cons or vice versa to decide whether divorce is more beneficial or detrimental.                                   

  Negative Effects:

Garoo, R. (2018). 10 Negative Effects Of Divorce On Children And Ways To Mitigate Them. Mom Junction. Retrieved from https://www.momjunction.com/articles/side-effects-divorced-parents-children_0022338/#gref Solinger, J. The Negative Effects of Divorce on Children. Retrieved from http://www.public.iastate.edu/~rhetoric/105H16/cova/jlscova.html

Positive Effects:

Farber, N. (2018). Enhancing Positive Outcomes for Children of Divorce. Psychology Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-blame-game/201803/enhancing-positive-outcomes-children-divorce

Leamon, S. (2017.) Potential Positive Effects of Divorce on Children (It may not all be bad news…). Divorce and Your Money. Retrieved from https://divorceandyourmoney.com/blogs/positive-effects-of-divorce-on-children/

--Original published at Rachelsblog

Divorce has become a more common thing in the US over the past couple years, and the biggest debate on this topic is “Does it affect kids negatively or not at all?”. According to psychologytoday.com, their article “The Impact of Divorce on Young Children and Adolescents”, states that it does affect kids. Although, it states that it affects kids differently depending on the age they are when their parents get divorced. It shows that it intensifies a Child’s dependence and accelerates an adolescents independence. The research also shows that in a young child who has divorced parents, they have a harder time trusting as they grow up. They see their parents, who they used to depend on for everything, act in an undependable way, because they are separated. This article also takes a look at the adolescent age of when parents get divorced. The adolescent ones tend to act more aggressively towards the divorce and try to live a separate life from their parents because they feel as their parents have failed to keep the family together.

In the next article I found, emeryondivorce.com, titled “How Divorce Affects Children”, states that kids with divorced parents are affected negatively by it, no matter the age, although it all depends on how the parents handle the divorce. Children are at a higher risk of having psychological and behavioral problems due to their parents divorce. Children tend to be extremely stressed and have trust issues seeing their parents love fail and their families break apart. The article also shows the other side to the argument though. If parents handle the divorce maturely and talk to their kids through the whole process, kids will become resilient to it. The parents who do a good job of managing the divorce, normally have children that will come out of the situation perfectly normal, just like kids who do not have divorced parents. Although some children end up alright, they still may have worries about their future relationships and they may still have some trust issues. They may always have the “ongoing worrying” behavior.

The next article, verywellfamily.com, titled “Psychological Effects of Divorce on Kids” agrees heavily with my first article mentioned in my blog. This article shows that kids are almost always affected negatively by divorce. Kids may not only be stressed out and upset that their parents are divorcing, but study shows that most kids feel as if it their fault and place the blame and stress on themselves.  Young kids also struggle with the idea of why they must go back and forth from mom’s house to dad’s house, when at one point it was the same house for both of them, now its two separate. Some kids also act aggressively towards the divorce and favor one parent over the other, which creates an even bigger divisor in the parents. This article also assess the idea that children struggle long term with divorced parents. Their grades may slip, their behaviors will change, their own trust in their marriage slips, and when their parents go to get remarried they will tend to act differently towards the “step-parent”. This study summarizes the idea that children are better in houses of warm and comforting parents who are together, than in homes where the parents are constantly fighting and tensions are always high, which typically then ends up in divorce. This can cause many issues to the child mentally and sometimes physically in the present and the future.

The last article I found is in The Washington Post, titled “Divorce doesn’t always hurt the kids”. This article argues that children are not always affected by divorce. Children may have problems at home that even if the parents remained together, they would still be affected, for example, child abuse. This article also states that all children are different so they cannot be generalized. All children deal with the stress of divorce differently. If a child is really young, like an infant, they may not understand divorce. So when these children grow up, all they know is separated parents, they’ve never experienced their parents together. This article summarizes that parents really are the deciding factor on if their child is affected or not. If the parents do a good job with helping the child through the divorce, then they will hardly be affected and come out okay. If the parents make the child feel as if they are apart of the divorce and are constantly fighting in front of the child, it will affect them negatively.

Being a child with divorced parents, I take the side that it negatively affects the child. My parents divorced when I was 13, and they were constantly fighting in front of me and I felt as if the divorce was my fault for a little while. I watched my friends have full, happy families while mine was broken. Having to have split holidays and not knowing which parent I will spend the holiday with, has taken a toll. I have no other family members with divorced parents so being the only one in my extended family with has also taken a toll and affected me. Having divorced parents has not affected me in school, but has affected my trust issues and fears for my future relationships. Studies have also showed that some children develop a stronger relationship with one parent over the other after the divorce, and I find that that has happened in my life. Divorce takes a toll on each and every child differently, although I would never wish this life upon anyone, it has caused more stress in my life than when before my parents were divorced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Original published at Sydney’s Side

A study, researched by Paul Amato and Juliana Sobolewski, found evidence that children of divorce have more negative outcomes when compared to children whose parents are still married. This is a credible source because the study is published by the American Sociological Review which is an academic journal. “The Effects of Divorce and Marital Discord on Adult Children’s Psychological Well-Being” conducted a seventeen-year longitudinal study to find the consequences of divorce. The researchers claim the stress of divorce is what causes the negative effects on children because they are unable to continue their mental development as well as comprehend what is going on around them. Therefore, they are developmentally delayed, and this problem will follow them into adulthood. Additionally, children of divorced parents are statistically more likely to have a lower socioeconomic status which could be attributed to the children being more likely to drop out of school early or more likely to not attend college. The researchers believe this is because divorce decreases the standard of living for these children as well as less parental involvement. Evidence from the study also shows, when compared to adults with married parents, those with divorced parents have lower quality relationships and report more conflict. 

Another study entitled, “Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Parent-Child Relationships: Within-Family Comparisons of Fathers and Mothers” focuses on the child’s relationship with their parents rather than how the divorce affects them psychologically. This study was published by the European Sociological Review which is also an academic journal and therefore is credible. The article shows the relationship between father and child is strongly impacted by divorce. The mother and child relationship is also impacted but not as strongly as the father. The study also found that there was an inequality between the parents, therefore one relationship was stronger than the other. It is concluded with the statement, further research is needed but it clearly shows there is a strong impact of divorce on parent child relationships. 

A magazine article published by the Scientific American proposes the idea that divorce may be hard on children, but they can adjust with no damage. The magazine is credible because it presents scientific studies monthly to educated readers and has been doing so for a long time. The article cites multiple studies that conclude divorce has little impact for children. One of the studies states initially children have short term problems with anxiety and disbelief but once they recover, very few have long term problems. The magazine also cites a study from Penn State University in which researchers compared academic achievement and behavior problems between children of different ages with separated or married parents. They discovered there was little to no difference between the groups. 

              Live Science is website that publishes reviews of recent scientific studies and is credible because it cites the studies it uses so its readers can fact check for themselves. Rachel Rettner recently published an article entitled “Divorce Not Always Bad for Kids” where she provides evidence from multiple research studies to show divorce does not always negatively affect or damage children. The children who lived in high conflict families, but their parents stayed together were proven to have more conflict in their future relationships when compared to children whose parents divorced. Parents who want to stay together for their kids may be causing more harm, it all depends on the situation. The article uses evidence to show that children with divorce parents are only affected for a short period following the divorce but if their parents fight and stay together, they are in a period of distress for most of their childhood. 

Divorce is not uncommon in America today, in fact it is relatively normal for peers to have divorced parents or to meet someone who is divorced. There is many different studies that look into the effects of divorce but it is still controversial. Both sides of the issues have fair points, but it really depends on the person. I agree more with the side that there are long term effects because there are many longitudinal studies and statistics show a big difference between children with divorced or married parents. But that being said, they are just statistics and a child can still grow to their full potential, just because their parents are divorced does not mean their life is going to be doomed. 

References 

Amato, P. R., & Sobolewski, J. M. (2001). The Effects of Divorce and Marital Discord on         Adult  Children’s Psychological Well-Being. American Sociological Review. Retrieved           from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=16&sid=d56a538b-9545-4992-8875-98aefd963d20@pdc-v-sessmgr02 

Arkowitz, H. (2013, March 01). Is Divorce Bad for Children? Retrieved                               from  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-divorce-bad-for-children/ 

Kalmijn, M. (2013). Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Parent-Child Relationships: Within-Family  Comparisons of Fathers and Mothers. European Sociological Review. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=24&sid=d56a538b-9545-4992-8875-98aefd963d20@pdc-v-sessmgr02 

Rettner, R. (2010, June 30). Divorce Not Always Bad for Kids. Retrieved from  https://www.livescience.com/6648-divorce-bad-kids.html

--Original published at Gracie's Blog

In the United States divorce is common, and there are several reasons as to why divorce may happen, but the long lasting effects on children needs to be kept into consideration. Children react from their parent’s divorce in different ways, depending on the circumstances. There was a test study done on 20 children ages 6-10 years. The 20 children were split half living in a united family and half living in a divorced family (Deshpande). The children’s responses to Adaptive Mechanism Schedule and Story Dynamics were recorded and the result was divorce impacts children in a negative way (Deshpande). Different children will be affected in various ways, depending on the gender, age, and how they cope with feelings. Children look up and adhere to their parents, therefore if they are present during arguments they feel stress and are aware of current feelings. When a couple is married, the children are all connected and part of the family; whenever the family gets separated everyone is affected. Younger children have a hard time understanding and adjusting to living arrangements between parents. Divorce is said to cause the children to end up struggling with management methods, losing virginity at a young age, and lesson the sense of masculinity and femininity as young adults. This credible source gave results from a research study concluding that divorce overall has negative effects on children and relationships. If children grow up seeing their parents fighting and deal with splitting their lives living with each parent, the probability of their marriage ending in divorce is high.

 

Jane Anderson studied the impact of divorce on children using roughly three decades of research and study. The results from evaluating children in families of divorced parents and families of married parents resulted in the conclusion that children living in families with married parents have better physical, emotional, and academic well-being. There were some instances where the parents would try and work things out and due to their effort, the children react positively. Only 45.8 percent of children get to age 17 before their parents get divorced, and 72 percent of marriages only last 14 years according to a study done in 2009 by an American Community Survey (Anderson). After a divorce people tend to get married again, but sadly that marriage ends in divorce too, causing the children to adapt to the recurring change. Results from a meta-analysis in 2001 shows that children from divorced families tend to score naturally lower on “academic achievement, conduct, psychological adjustment, self-concept, and social relations” (Anderson).

 

Although the majority of effects on children from their parents divorcing are said to be negative, there are also contradicting information telling us otherwise. In some cases, divorce has no impact on the children. In 2009 over 1,000 teenagers were asked to take the GordonPoll Youth Survey() (Jolivet). Teenagers ages fourteen to eighteen said they feel more independent and strong when asked about divorce. The teens also expressed how they are old enough to understand the circumstances and they want what is best for their parents. Therefore divorce may lead to children and teenage independence.

 

The thoughts on the effects of divorce on children is stereotypical and evidently there are not many studies showing specific negative results from divorce on children. Amato and Irving (2006) suggest that the events that occur during the divorce, not the actual divorce cause negative connotations for children of divorced families (Pantelis). A study involving families going through divorce received 76 responses from parents stating the impact of the divorce on the offspring ages 2-17 the their adjustments. The results showed that if the parent’s relationship with the child was balanced, it would help the child’s adjustment (Pantelis). This shows that in some cases divorced parents grow closer to their children, and are able to have one-on-one time with them.  

 

Based on what I have read, I think overall divorce impacts children in a negative way, making it hard for them to see what marriage actually looks like. Obviously if a parent’s relationship is dangerous and getting a divorce was the best option, then I would say divorce was overall helping the child. In conclusion, children are most likely to end up in a divorce also and can experience trouble with emotions and interactions if their parents get a divorce.

 

Sources:

 

Anderson, Jane. The impact of family structure on the health of children: Effects of Divorce. November 2014. Linacre Q. Date Accessed 7 October 2018. http://resolver.ebscohost.com/openurl?sid=EBSCO%3areh&genre=article&issn=00243639&ISBN=&volume=81&issue=4&date=20141101&spage=378&pages=378-387&title=The+Linacre+Quarterly&atitle=The+impact+of+family+structure+on+the+health+of+children%3a+effects+of+divorce&aulast=Anderson%2c+Jane&id=DOI%3a10.1179%2f0024363914Z.00000000087&site=ftf-live

 

Deshpande, Anuradha & Pandey, Neelam. Psychological Impact of Parental Divorce on Children: a Qualitative Study. 2014. Indian Journal of Health & Well-being. Vol. 5 Issue 10. Date Accessed 7 October 2018. http://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=99836849&S=R&D=a9h&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHr7ESeprU4zdnyOLCmr1Cep69SsKa4SLKWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMOPY8of15LmF39%2FsU%2BPa8QAA

 

Jolivet, Kendra Randall. The Psychological Impact of Divorce on Children: What is a Family Lawyer to Do? 2011. American Journal of Family Law. Vol. 25 Issue 4. Date Accessed 7 October 2018 http://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=67122024&S=R&D=sih&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHr7ESeprU4zdnyOLCmr1Cep69Ss6q4TbaWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMOPY8of15LmF39%2FsU%2BPa8QAA

 

Pantelis, Konstantinos & Bonotis, K. & Kandri, T. It Attacked My Change: An Exploratory Study With Young Adults on the Impact of Divorce and Their Adjustment Processes During Adolescence. Journal of Divorce & Remarriages. Nov/Dec 2015. Vol. 56 Issue 8. Date Accessed 7 October 2018. http://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=111336673&S=R&D=sih&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHr7ESeprU4zdnyOLCmr1Cep7BSrqy4S7OWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMOPY8of15LmF39%2FsU%2BPa8QAA

 

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

Divorce is something that many kids have to go through. My parents are divorced, and it’s not easy. But how does divorce really effect kids today? Are they really effected by it, or is it something that they can just move on from. The following articles explain how they feel divorce impacts children, if at all.

In the article entitled “The Psychological Effects of Divorce on Children,” Amy Morin, LCSW explains that 48% of children are living in a house with one parent, as a result of divorce, by the age of 16. She argues that kids normally struggle within the first one or two years after divorce. She says that some kids can bounce back from it, but others have a very difficult time with it. Kids can experience anger, anxiety, and even lifelong problems due to a divorce. Depending on their age, children can experience confusion about going back and forth between house, guilt, and anger towards one or both parents. Studies showed that the mother is often less supportive and her discipline becomes decreased after a divorce. Studies have also shown that kids that have gone through a divorce may have increased psychological problems, regardless of age or gender. Studies also show that children of divorce are at a higher risk for anxiety and depression. The author also writes that while divorce is tough on children, staying in the marriage just for the kids may not be the best option. The author made it clear numerous times that kids of divorce are at a higher risk for mental health issues. This source is credible, because the author has her LCSW, and the reviewer has their MD. The website has a medical review board that are all licensed and trained professionals, which is why I think this source is credible.

In the next article, Wendy Paris, an author, and someone who has had her articles appear in many news sites like Psychology Today, and The Washington Post, writes about how you can still raise happy kids, even after a divorce. Paris writes that a study done by Mavis Hetherington, who followed 2,500 children, showed that 80% of the kids were doing well. Michael Lamb’s meta-study done in 2012 also showed that children are well when they have good relationships with both parents, but the parents don’t have to be living in the same house in order for that to be true. Lamb’s general overview was that marriage isn’t what makes a child’s wellbeing- its the loving relationship between the parent and the child where the parents aren’t constantly having problems. Paris’s own points include making sure that stability is still being obtained by creating new routines, and creating positive moments for the children without involving the parents’ relationships. I believe this was a scholarly article because it included studies by Michael Lamb, who is a professor at Cambridge University. Wendy Paris was also a senior editor for Psychology Today, and has published articles in The New York Times, and Los Angelas Review of Books.

This third article explains how divorce can negatively effect children. Emery writes that divorce can be stressful for kids, and can strain the relationship between parent and child. He says that the transition between marriage and divorce can really impact the child, depending on how stressful, or chaotic it is. He also writes that kids can be of higher risk for psychological problems, anger problems, depression, and suffering school achievement. He says that a lot of children can get through divorce without having emotional or psychological problems, but children still report pain and worry about divorce and relationships. A study that Emery and Laumann-Billings did in 2000 showed that 73 out of 99 college students who’s parents had divorced 3 or more years said they’d be a different person if their parents weren’t divorced. 48 out of 99 said they had a more difficult childhood then most. This article was scholarly because the author, Robert E. Emery has a Ph.D. and is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia.

In the last article, the author argues that while divorce can be difficult, it is better to get a divorce then stay in the marriage when there is constant fighting and arguing. The author argues that staying in the marriage when there is constant conflict and even possibly violence makes the children have to cope with the everyday affects of it. The article says that while divorce is hard on the kids, when it finally does happen, it can often serve some benefits to the children. These benefits include reduced fighting, since the parents are in two separate homes, and the child doesn’t have to be around negativity, things seem to become calmer after the divorce settles. Other benefits include happy parents, so their happiness can rub off on the kids, and the kids learn more about compromise, and using it as a skill. This article is a good source because Brette Sember, has her B.A. and J.D., and describes the other side of divorce, which is the side that most people don’t see, aka the more positive affects on divorce. This article was also written in the Huffington Post.

Overall, I feel that divorce hurts children, based on the readings, because there are so many different things that can result from a divorce, including psychological and behavioral problems. As a child that comes from a divorced family, I can attest to the fact that it’s a very emotionally stressful thing, and it can affect you, even long after the divorce has happened. I feel that the studies presented in these articles also leaned more towards the side of how divorce can negatively impact a child.

 

 

 

 

 

1. Morin, Amy, LCSW (2018, August 24). “The Psychological Effects of Divorce on Children: Take steps to help kids bounce back faster.” https://www.verywellfamily.com/psychological-effects-of-divorce-on-kids-4140170
2. Paris, Wendy (2015, March 17). “Yes, You Can Raise Happy Children After Divorce: What kids really need to thrive.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/splitopia/201503/yes-you-can-raise-happy-children-after-divorce
3. Emery, Robert E. (2006-2018). “How Divorce Affects Children.” http://emeryondivorce.com/how_divorce_affects_children.php
4. Sember, Brette (2017, December 6). “Why a Good Divorce Is Better Than a Bad Marriage for Kids.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-a-good-divorce-is-better-than-a-bad-marriage-for-kids_b_6925236