Divorce & the Psychological Theories of Development

The first three years of a child 's life are the most significant for growth and development, both mentally and physically. Young children perceive situations and events that occur in their environment differently depending on their developmental stage. Urie Bronfenbrenner is a psychologist that came up with the Ecological Systems Theory which is a modern theory of development. The Ecological Systems Theory was created into a model that has multiple system levels. The first level that directly impacts a child the most is called the microsystem and this system consists of family, peers, school, and health services. Divorce is being seen more often in society today and is happening earlier. Divorce can be very traumatic to a child even if the divorce was mutual and as peaceful as possible; imagine if it was a bad divorce? This puts stress and anxiety on young children and can affect their development. More and more studies are being conducted in the last thirty years showing the negative effects divorce has on young children. The more we find out exactly how and why it affects children so greatly we can come up with recommendations and strategies to help deal with it in a way that will not hinder the child 's development. This paper will connect the modern day developmental perspective with studies that have shown

The scholarly article “The Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Children: A Review,” by Judith S. Wallerstein, explores various studies conducted by psychologists over a twenty year span, about the long term social and psychosocial difficulties experienced by children of divorce. The majority of the research for this particular topic discusses how the problems for these children began long before the actual separation of the parents, a theory that had not been previously researched in full until these studies. After reading the article, it is evident, that often the divorce itself is the last resort of the quarrelling parents. By waiting several years before finally breaking off the failed marriage the parents are unintentionally

The statistics for divorce in the 1990's suggest that nearly sixty percent of marriages end in divorce. Given this startling figure, the assumption can be made that many children will experience some effects caused by the life-changing event called divorce. What is it exactly about divorce that causes negative consequences for these children? In what ways will these children be effected? Will these effects show outwardly? I will attempt to uncover some of the complexities surrounding these psychological questions in the following text. The unsettling fact is: young children of divorced parents face great psychological challenges due to the environmental conditions and changes associated with divorce (Wolchik and Karoly 45).

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 has many factors that can affect the development of a child and the path leading up to that child’s adulthood. In most cases, the children

Divorce is comparable to an epidemic since it has been filtering through many societies at an increasingly alarming rate. According to the most current statistic, there are more than 2.1 million marriages in the United States (“Children of Divorced Parents”). Out of those, almost half end in divorce. Divorce nowadays is extremely common. In fact, in America there is one divorce every thirty-six seconds (National Marriage and Divorce Rate Trends”). Each year over a million American children suffer from the divorce of their parents (Amato 24-26). Even though it might be shown to benefit some individuals in their own personal case, for the majority it causes a decrease in an individual’s life and puts many people “on a downward trajectory from which they might never fully recover” (Amato). Over long term, the United States divorce rate has been on a rise since 1980, which means more children being affected (Macionis). These children that are affected are faced by emotions of anger, confusion and even fear. These emotions affect their academic performance, social interactions, behavior, self-esteem and other negative effects. This literature review is important in calling attention on the current research studying impacts of divorce on children. The topic of divorce is a wide-ranging topic. However, this particular literature review focuses only on the effects that divorce has on children. The data presented in this paper is collected from

Through out this discussion the reader has seen the effects of divorce on children. These effects are primarily shown in three areas of the childrens lives. These three areas are emotionally, physically, and

Parental divorce has many drastic effects on the life of a child, whether it be the abrupt changes made or the devastation of losing a parent. Though this event changes the lives of thousands of children a day, by discussing the psychodynamic perspective of psychology, analyzing research methods, exploring necessary

Divorce will also impact the psychosocial domain of children and adolescents. The end of a marriage can cause economic problems, which can lead to their children being forced to move houses, schools, and even stop participating in sports. The abundance of changes can be depressing being that they may no longer have the ability to participate in activities that they once loved along spending time with friends that they were close to. The PowerPoint proclaims that social losses in the lives of the adults and children can be a result of divorce, which can be upsetting to their friends. In Piaget’s Cognitive Domain Theory, the preoperational stage is focused on children between the ages

Divorce is a great phenomenon in today's society, it is a painful and an unforgettable experience in a person's life, especially for a child. When parents get divorced its hardest on the children because they go from having two inseparable people who had marriage commitments to fulfil, to witnessing the love lost between these two people. The concern here is, is there a psychological impact of parental divorce on children? Many parents don't realize that divorce affects their child much more than it affects them. In fact, most children are quick to get affected by the outcome of the divorce. Most children react and handle the problem differently, but they all experience a sort of emotional change. To say furthermore, this research paper

These include academic deterioration, antisocial and delinquent behaviors, anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression. Early promiscuity, relationship difficulties, and illicit drug use are also noted. Other studies correlate resiliency in adulthood as one product of living in a conflictual family system”(Rich et al., 2007 p.164). The effects of divorce vary depending on the situation and the child. “Hess and Camara found that many children of divorce suffer severe emotional consequences such as depression, anger, anxiety, and withdrawal, any of which, if prolonged, can have a negative impact on the child’s overall emotional development. It is also reported adjustment problems in the area of cognitive, emotional, and social development among children of divorce as well. In addition, parental separation has been found to be particularly stressful for adolescents”(Bornstein and Walters, 1988 p.248).

The effects of divorce on the heart and minds of children range from mild to severe and from short

For this weeks research topic that has been said that it has a huge impact in children 's development. The researches of Divorce and the impact on a child 's development. Some of the e journals will explore and help us identify some the effects that harm children as they encounter their parental divorce. Numerous researchers have found that parental divorce is associated with a range of negative outcomes in young children. We will focus on prospective Analysis and explore the study more detailed. The effects of a person’s early relationship on their development through life.

Divorce and its effects on children are common issues that are on the rise in the world today. Divorce affects more than just the married couple. Children often bear the brunt of divorce, which makes divorce a complicated decision for most parents. Understanding the effects divorce has on a child is important to know exactly why a child acts a certain way. A divorce can affect a child psychologically, intellectually, and even behaviorally. Children can suffer physiologically from things like depression, intellectually by having trouble in school and behaviorally by having trouble in social settings. Legally, a divorce is a single event, but from a psychological standpoint, it is a complicated,

For the child, it can be disastrous. Full of uncertainty and emotional stress as their family is torn apart and their world is turned upside down. Children of all ages deal with this new reality in different ways, and as research shows, there are negative trends associated with divorce and the impact it has on the lives of the children entangled in the process. Three areas of continued study that have a marked effect in the children of divorced parents are mental health, behavior, and school work. Psychosocial development is hindered as the child deals with new stresses and a new lifestyle. As a result of the tremulous time and disruption in parenting, children often display maladjusted behavior problems that can spill over into their academic effort. Ongoing attention of these effects has spurred programs to address the concerns of divorce. Compared with children of married parents, children from divorced families are more likely to show signs of psychological maladjustment, have conduct problems and lower academic achievement, although early intervention and a strong support system can mitigate the impact.