Adolescents and Divorce Essay

Parental divorce can result in devastating effects on children. These children suffer tremendous long-term consequences as a result of an event that is not their doing. This paper reviews literature and opinions concerning the long-term effects of divorce on adolescents. The paper outlines four major areas of interest: aggression as a result of parental conflict and the different types associated with boys and girls, depression in the lives of boys and girls in its various forms, the choice boys and girls make to marry or not later in life and the possibility of adolescents expressing parental alienation. The results of this

Parents that are going through a marriage breakdown, divorce and separation can be stressful for all involved particularly the children/young person. They can become emotionally withdrawn and suffer a lack of confidence which can create low self esteem. Due to family upheaval, they may lose focus in their own abilities and suffer mentally. Similarly, children

Changes to family circumstances can have a profound effect on children. Separation or Divorce can leave the child with a sense of bereavement, like they have lost one of their parents. They may feel angry or confused and worried about what will happen to them in the future. They may also feel that they are in some way to blame for the family breakdown so carry a burden of guilt. These negative emotions may lead to a lack of concentration at school, or exhibits themselves as withdrawn or aggressive behaviours.

Divorce causes many problems for children and has many implications. Psychological implications include mental health problems and behavioral problems. Social roles are turned inside out and upside down. Children are often pulled in many directions. In the United States divorce is very common and often leaves children confused and without options. Many turn toward violence, crime, drugs, and isolation. Studies show how adults can reduce the tension for these children. Other

Divorce can affect teens emotionally and this can confuse them. Teens become angry and feel as if the world is against them when they are going through a divorce. Anger in teens can cause them to lash out in school and, hurt themselves and others around them. The effect of anger in teens can potentially lead to arguments and fights. Fighting in school can cause teenagers to get suspended and fights that are not in school can cause teens to get arrested. Some teenagers feel as if the divorce is their fault by either not making good grades, by not helping out around the house, and by making one parent go against the other by one of the parents taking their teens side on arguments. When teens feel like the divorce is their fault, it causes them

Child and adolescent development is already a sensitive time with the emotional and physical changes, so divorce of the parental figures may only make it a more fragile process for the child (Newman, et al., 1993). Young children about five to nine years old will perceive divorce as a physical separation of the spouses, whereas older children about ten to fourteen years old will perceive divorce as a psychological and emotional distance between the spouses (Newman, et al,

Many of the adolescence that experience a disruption or divorce in family structure may face problems in school, and with peers their own age. As well as emotional and behavioral issues. These issues can affect the outcomes that follow into adulthood. For example, an adolescent that is having trouble dealing with a divorce or a death in the family, may turn their attention to violence, truancy, and rebellion. Some adolescents may experience depression, low self-esteem, or do poorly in school. When the issues are not addressed, the outcome is to continue on the same path as adults. Other disruptions in the environment may include poverty, mental health issues, and alcohol or drug addiction. These can also have a damaging effect on an adolescent’s

Small children sometimes blame the divorce on themselves, they also have difficulty in focusing in school. Younger children are usually more violent, dependent, whiny, and aggressive. Adolescents feel little sense of blame for the separation of their parents, but they feel hatred. Divorce affects boys and girls differently. Boys usually have more trouble concentrating and more difficulty with math. Boys are also more aggressive with their mothers, teacher, and other boys their age; while girls tend to cry more and whine to vent their sadness. Temperament is different with girls than with boys. Boys won’t have the father figure as well as girls lack the mother figure. Relatives, teachers, friends, and community services are resources for support for these children. The long term impacts of divorce on children include, loss of self esteem, anger directed both towards others and themselves, drug and/or alcohol abuse, frequent rule breaking and destructive behavior, depression, isolation, or withdrawal from friend’s/family, suicidal thoughts, increased or early sexual activity. The probability that subjects whose parents have a tertiary education will receive a university degree is 53 percentage points higher than that of

For my research, I have chosen to explore the discussions regarding the various ways in which children are affected by the divorce of their parents. Divorce is a hard time for all parties involved, but many people are unaware of the full extent of issues that it can cause for those that are not directly involved- the children. Also, many of the negative affects divorce presents can, in fact, persist and become long-term. Most parents realize that their separation takes a toll on their children, but typically, adults are unaware of the ways that their children can potentially be affected by it throughout the rest of their lives. After thorough research in the field, the topics I considered to be most informative and compelling

The emphasis on pathology and individual deficiency in local studies, it has been a transformation in focus toward resilience and family dynamics in western studies (Ahrons, 1994; Emery & Forehand, 1994; Hetherington & Mitchell, 2003; Kelly & Emery, 2003). Emery and Forehand (1994) pointed out that in the face of adversity adolescents somehow bounce back from divorce. However, it does not mean that their children are appreciating or happy of their parents’ divorce. They are also upset and distress. According to the amount of distress, most adolescents are also resilient. There is also a wide consensus that adolescents’ SE in post-divorce families is a multivariate phenomenon rather than a simple outcome of divorce (Amato, 1993; Etnery, 1999; Lengua, Wolchik, & Braver, 1995). There are both risk factors and resilience factors mediating the adolescents’ post-divorce SE (Amato, 1993, 2001; Emery & Forehand, 1994; Hetherington & Mitchell, 2003).

Many adolescents who get the feeling of anger due to their parents divorce usually do not have a support system at home and start to find support in other places. For example, many females who grow up without a father due to the fact that their parents separated, might find support in a young man who does not have the right intentions with her or a young man

Although divorce is positive for both the parents and children involved, a negative effect such as neglect could transpire. If a child feels upset, having multiple support systems is highly beneficial. Parental relationships are important, however, children seek acceptance elsewhere outside of their homes. “Most found it difficult to talk to their parents and accrued negative information from them and thus turned somewhere else for support” (Pikounis). Children may also seek emotional support from other family members and even peers. Children that have undergone the same adjustments as some of their peers can build more friendships based on common interaction and help others cope with their new circumstances (Hopf). Studies conducted have shown that after divorce, peer relationships grow stronger because of the open opportunity to talk about the adjustments the adolescent is experiencing (Demo and Acock).

Some of the psychological effects divorce has on children can be caused by the many changes they will go through in their daily life, such as their home placement, their childcare, and their family relationships. A study in 1996 found that less than half of children living with a divorced mother had seen their fathers at all in more than one year, and only one in six saw their fathers once a week. These changes lead to children spending more time with one custodial parent and obviously have less time with each parent overall. For most children, this means much less time spent with their fathers. This can affect the child’s relationship with their father, and possibly their mother, very negatively. It can cause the child to find it more difficult to form a bond with and

When two people go through a divorce, they are making the decision to leave each other’s lives. Some of the many reasons include abuse, early age, and lack of commitment. Over half of children in the United States will go through their parent’s divorce at a young age. It is said that the behavior of children living in a broken family is different than those that grow up with both parents. A divorce can have negative outcomes on a child; things like early sexual practice, loneliness and depression, and poor academic performance.

The problems faced by children of divorce are also sometimes dependent on the child’s gender. While boys often externalize their feelings, becoming outwardly angry, defiant, and frustrated, girls tend toward internalizing their feelings, becoming depressed or suffering physiological symptoms, like headache, stomachache, sleeping, or eating problems (Corcoran, 1997). Boys may have more problems at school, with fighting and behavioral problems becoming more apparent. Adolescent boys from divorced families are more “likely to spend time with deviant peers and engage in delinquent behavior” (Patten, 1997). Girls from divorced families tend to become sexually active at an earlier age than girls from intact families (Foulkes-Jamison, 2001). It is interesting to note that boys with mothers who remarry or who live with their father as their primary caregiver are actually less likely to develop these behavioral problems than boys who live with their mother, however these things do not seem to make a difference for girls (Temke, 2006).