Essay on Effects of Divorce on Children Today

Divorce is one of the most common happenings in the world experienced by children. Most children go through different adjustments to become comfortable with the fact that their parents are not together anymore. Children of divorced parents are prone to lifelong effects. Seventy-five to eighty percent of children have divorced parents and twenty-five percent of those children have serious social, emotional, or psychological problems for the rest of their life. Most adults think that it is best for parents to stay together for the sake of their child because having two parents in different households can become difficult for the child socially and academically.

Divorce is is already a messy situation but the second a child gets thrown in the middle of this situation, it gets even more complicated. It is the end of a marriage for the couple but it is the end of a family for the child. Not every child is affected the same. There are a list of things that change emotionally for kids of divorce. They withdraw, they have a stronger temper, they doubt love, they deal with guilt, and having different coping mechanisms with loss (What). Children of divorce miss out on things like family dinner, which plays a bigger role in childhood development than we think. Statistically, according to the CASA report, Children “who eat with their family fewer than three times a week, 20% get C 's or lower on their report cards (Klein).” Children of divorced parents never

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).

Over 60 percent of couples seeking a divorce have children still living at home. ( 6) What some parents don't realize when they file for a divorce is the damage and effect that it will have on their kids. Divorce affects children in many ways. It affects kids emotionally and causes them to experience painful feelings such as fear, loss, anger and confusion. Divorce also hurts a child's academic achievement. Children whose parents divorce generally have poorer scores on tests and a higher dropout rate. (3)

Divorce may affect young children somewhat differently than older children. According to Karen DeBord, a child development specialist, there are different stages in childhood, and at each of these stages children have a different understanding of divorce. At the infancy stage children are not capable of understanding the conflict, but may notice a difference in the parents' disposition (DeBord, 1997). Here she states that children may react with a loss of appetite, upset stomach, or anxiety. As a toddler they recognize the loss a parent but cannot reason

Another mental health problem a child can develop is depression. A child with depression may be sad more often than not, feel guilty or helpless, and may lose interest in pleasurable things or things they previously enjoyed. Other mental health issues that may arise from the divorce of the child’s parents are antisocial behavior and hyperactivity (Strohscein, 2012).

Divorce can have a huge effect on a child. Divorce is a long process that can affect a child for a period of years. Most children are affected by divorce but the process can be generally more difficult for boys. According to Hetherington and Stanley- Hagan (1999) most children are resilient enough to adapt to their parent divorce after a period of time has passed. The main facotrs of divorce that can affect a child are, how often they see the non- custodial parent, the lifestyle or financial implications of being part of a single parent family and if one or both parents remarry, this can cause a massive difference in family life due to the child having to come to terms with their new

Divorce rates in the United States have become extremely high and students everywhere are victims of divorce. But what effect does divorce have on children? Divorce affects the children in three ways. These three ways include emotionally, physically and academically.

In the United States alone, there is 876,000 divorces every year, or one every 36 seconds. This staggering statistic not only affects the lives of the divorcees, but their immediate family as well. The children of divorced parents have a much higher chance of depression as opposed to those whose parents are married. Depression in children with divorced parents can be described by discussing the psychodynamic perspective of psychology, analyzing research methods, exploring necessary components, and debunking common controversies, proving that the divorce of parents directly contributes to depression in children.

Divorce is a very harsh and challenging thing, especially on children. In today’s society, it is very common. It takes hard work and determination to keep a marriage going strong. It is also something that both spouses have to work at every day. Children grow up seeing their mom and dad together, and they become immune to it. When suddenly one day their parents are no longer together, there can be long term and short term effects on the child. Effects of a divorce on children include depression and anxiety, separation from one or both parents, and lastly, stepfamilies.

You can look at someone on the outside and think that everything is okay and they have their life together, but on the inside of that person they feel very different. Today divorce is more common and less stigmatized; it can cause short and long term effects on children, emotional and physical pain, which can also linger into their adulthood. There is a lot of variance in how children respond to divorce, but not only can divorce effect the children who go through it but also the parents of the divorce. Behavioral problems and even health problems can arise in the child due to divorce.

One way to view the effects of divorce on children is from a psychological point of view.

Divorce or the parent separation is a major life change for the children and can

One of the biggest effects of divorce is the effect it has on our children. Most couples get married and have children shortly after, and all decision made by the couples directly affect their children. Studies show that divorce has one of the most negative effects on children. Children living in single parent homes are more likely to be pregnant as teenagers, drop out of high school, abuse drugs and have behavioral issues. Furthermore due to the high dropout rates of single parent children they often have hard times finding jobs due to their lack of education. Often times we will see that children from broken homes will also have issues maintaining long term relationships as well. Studies show that children who parents are divorced or separated marriages will end in divorce as well. One last scary effect of divorce is that 92 percent of inmates in California State correctional facilities are products of single parent homes; in other words at some point when they were children their parents either divorced or became separated.

Divorce is a plague that is destroying numerous families across the United States of America. Sadly, when husbands and wives divorce, the children are often caught directly in the middle. Throughout the years divorce has been becoming more and more common. In the 1920's it was a rare find to know a person whom had been divorced, today it is a rarity not to know of one who has been, or will be divorced. Divorce has numerous effects on the structures of families, and many devastating effects on the children that must experience it, although sometimes necessary, divorce radically changes the lives of adolescents and adults alike.