Impart of Divorce on Children

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.

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.

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

The rapid epidemic of divorce in the United States within the last 20 years has affected more than one half of the families in the United States. In the past, we have viewed divorce as a short term crisis and not as a longitudinal view of the effects divorce might bring. Divorce does affect children. However, it is not the divorce that is the problem; it is the ongoing conflict between the parents and the child’s coping mechanisms in their own stages of development. Counseling, family therapy, and also having a divorce mediation are all successful ways of coping with the family.

Divorce can have a minimal impact on society economically. Divorced women are more likely to work as a result of economic necessity, especially if there are children involved. Women have greater responsibility, after a divorced, because they are now the primary caregiver, in additional with child care cost as an added factor. Often time’s women and children of divorce become victims to government aid in assistance with government grants. Some of these grants include housing vouchers, medical insurance, transportation, and child care. After a breakup, household incomes drop as much as 15 percent, while higher poverty rates increase (Wolfinger, N, 2005). Although legislation proposals suggest marital classes approved by the department of human services, would aid in reconciliation of marriage.

When it comes to divorce, it is common for children to be mixed up in the middle of things. In 1981 somewhere around 1.2 million kids were affected by divorce. Divorce causes major disruption within the family (Peck). When divorce begins to erupt the whole family, especially the children, is thrown off track. Many routines become estranged as the parents begin to divide households and divide the time spent with children. Other times one parent may move out, more commonly the father, and not see the kids at all. This can put a huge financial and responsibility burden on the remaining parent. Which

Since I started this paper without a specific, for or against argument on the matter, I have gained more knowledge about how exactly divorce affects the family. However, my position on this social problem has not wavered very much. While I do agree with most of the scholars that addressed the issues surrounding divorce and how they affect children and single-parents, I could not find many arguments that undeniably agreed with the notion that divorce could have positive effects. Although, a persuasive argument that was introduced was that relationships that are unhealthy could be ended with the help of divorce. More than one of the resources stressed the importance of more research into if divorce was the only cause of single-parent household hardships and evaluating whether there were more positive effects of divorce since less research on this subject has been done in comparison to the negative effects of divorce. I recognize that I am speaking about a fraction of the problem and that other issues under this topic need to be addressed. In other words, it is imperative that all facets of divorce be investigated in order to truly understand all parts of the social

Over half of all marriages end in divorce. What effect do these divorces have on the young children involved? Many people assume that the changes involved in divorce would naturally lead to some emotional problems, with potential permanent ramifications. Hidden in this view, however, is the assumption that the traditional, two parent families is the most appropriate environment in which to raise

Not only can a divorce strain a child emotionally but, it even affects them financially. “Because the custodial parent 's income drops substantially after a divorce, children in divorced homes are almost five times more likely to live in poverty than are children with married parents.” Sara McLanahan and Gary Sandefur, Growing Up with a Single Parent: What Hurts, What Helps (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994), p. 82

Unfortunately, we live in a world were economic times are tough. It can be a struggle for parents to adequately support children - especially if there is only one parent. According to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development about 15.9 percent of children world wide live in single-parent households. In the United states alone there are approximately 13.7 million single parents today, and those parents are responsible for raising 21.8 million children (approximately 26% of children under 21 in the U.S. today). The question we must ask is, What struggles and psychological effect does separation and divorce have on the parents as well as the children?

The relationship between divorce and a drop in standards of living for female-headed families has been documented in several studies. The connection between divorce and financial difficulties in these households may negatively impact children's adjustment periods. Felner and Terre (1987) conclude,

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

What the parents can do to help their children is remarry. Young children of parents that don’t remarry within a few years of the divorce have a higher risk of developing emotional, psychological, social, and relationship problems as the years go by. [10] A single parent can’t provide their children with everything they need. Remarriage typically bolsters family income through the addition of another wage earner to the household. Remarriage also makes it easier for the kids to get college education. Remarriage also provides more parental supervision and support for the children. [9]Both parents can monitor their children and also give them lots of love and support. Remarrying can

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.

The ongoing debate on how harmful divorce can be on children has long existed since the mid 1900s. Before the increase in divorce rates, a social stigma was associated with the term. Many people related the term divorce to the image of a “broken” home. The term “broken” home led many people to believe that children who lived in these circumstances were surrounded by a negative environment creating psychological and behavioral problems. This paper will examine whether children of divorced parents experience more difficulties in their psychosocial well-being and academic achievement than their peers from non-divorced families. In addition, I will also examine the children's ages, younger children (elementary school) and older children (middle school-adolescence), and their gender to determine if these factors play a role in their well-being. After carefully analyzing the effects parental divorce has on children I will introduce a list of intervention methods used to assist parents and children cope with new transitions.