Effects of Divorce on the Academic Achievement of a Child

Children of divorce are numerous, the effects of their biological parents separation and subsequent divorce has lasting effects on their behavior, academics, and their emotions. No one seems to care about the prevalence of divorce in society today; it is no longer considered taboo.

Janet Shansky of Iona college wrote this intellectual article about some major theories within divorced families. These theories have the potential to explain the connection between parental divorce and negative outcomes for the children. These include, but are not limited to, the "marital disruption" theory, the "reduced resources" theory, and the "parental conflict" theory. Shansky takes a deep look at all of the research that went into these theories and how they explain the adverse effects of divorce on children. Another aspect of her article is how these significant theories can be put to use in intervening future students and children from having such a hard time with this major change in their life.

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 is a heavy concept that has many implications for those involved. The situation becomes even more consequential when children are considered. As divorce has become more commonplace in society, millions of children are affected by the separation of the nuclear family. How far-reaching are these effects? And is there a time when divorce is beneficial to the lives of the children? This paper will examine some of the major research and several different perspectives regarding the outcomes of divorce for the children involved, and whether it can actually be in the best interest of the kids.

On her part, Cheryl Wetzstein in her article “Lowering Divorce Rates Urged As National Goal” argues that legislation should be put in place to checkmate the rate of divorce in the United States especially for a family with children. According to Wetzstein, the problem of divorce and its effect on children is a national goal which demands critical evaluation on the part of the government. Wetzstein claims that the effect of divorce touches every aspect of life. According to a study shared by Wetzstein, children from separated homes exhibit emotional, physical and mental problems; are easily exposed to crime and drugs; perform poorly academically, and are likely to commit suicide. Wetzstein states that seeing the unfortunate impact divorce has on these children, the government, as a matter of urgency, should come up with laws that would reduce family separation; this would not only preserve the future of the children but also saves government lots of money (2000).

With the large and growing number of divorce rates, research is now discussing the effects it has on the children of divorced parents. Now divorce does not just impact the individuals going through it, but their children as well. Not only do children have to live with one or the other parent, have shared custody, or various other living arrangements that may change, but their entire life that they knew changes. Research is

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

The last effect in children of divorcing parents is the academic failure. As a result of the parents getting a divorce, the child may stop becoming a good student and slide more towards the slacking behavior. They may stop participating in class and in group work, even passing time chatting with friends instead of doing school work. Sometimes students do this because they feel they can get even with their parents who are divorcing.They feel their parents should not be getting divorced. It changes all aspects of the children’s lives. And often children don’t believe their parents have had any consideration for them in the decision to divorce. Children also sometimes feel they are the cause of their parents decision to divorce. This results in the students decision to get an F in classes. The student hopes this failing academic behavior will awaken the parents to his or her needs instead of the parents thinking about only themselves.

Divorce has many victims; they do not fall under a specific category and do not target a specific gender, age, race, or ethnicity. The effect of divorce on children differs from the effect on the spouses. The reasons for divorce are endless; they have many side effects on the spouses but most importantly affect the children. Divorce is one of the main reasons for disruption in our communities. Regardless of the reason, divorce always harms the children’s decisions, personalities, and futures.

Among industrialized countries, the highest divorce rate is in the United States, where about half of all first marriages end in divorce and more than a million children experience their parents’ divorce each year. During the '80s and '90s numerous examinations in different fields researched the inquiry whether there is a negative impact of this procedure on kids. Albeit most investigations demonstrated that separation has negative effect on kids, there are a wide range of elucidations about the outcomes of this circumstance on kids, particularly about the force of the impact, regardless of whether the negative effect is emerging from the separation itself or from the procedure, and whether this procedure can entirely be useful for the children in a few circumstances. Notwithstanding the negative impacts of the separation itself on youngsters, we ought to consider additionally the negative consequences for kids coming about because of the contention between the guardians, which is every now and again terrible and unpleasant. There is presumably that extensive losses of this battle are simply the

and adults. Children of divorce are more likely to suffer from behavioral, social, academic, and psychological problems than children raised in two-parent families. The actual separation of the family will be the initial crisis that a child must deal with but many issues such as economic hardship, moving, and other major issues may

Divorces mostly occur as a result of thrifts between the couples and due to this their psychological wellbeing is hampered and when psychological wellbeing of individuals is compromised, it is more likely that the couples fail to focus on their work which may result in financial issues. Divorce may mitigate these psychological issues and the couples may be able to focus on their work in a better manner and this may eventually result in better financial rewards attained from high performance. It is not necessary that children are always negatively impacted by a divorce. Divorce as stated again and again mostly occur due to frugalities between parents and these frugalities may result in domestic abuse or domestic violence experienced by children. A divorce resulting due to case of domestic violence may favorably impact the children, since children may be able to avoid these abuses. Secondly when parents are involved in fighting with each other, they tend to give up on their bonding with their children. Divorces can be a solution, as well as bonding between parents and children may increase as a result of divorce because after a divorce parents will have more time to spend with their children instead of fighting with each other.

The proportion of single-parent families has increased world wide in the last few decades, mostly due to high divorce rates. (H. Junkkari. M.D.) Divorce has become a common solution among many families all over the nation. Studies have been conducted and these studies show the negative effects divorce has on the children involved. Perhaps a different solution is

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,

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.