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Long-Term Effects Of Divorce On Children

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Children of Divorced Parents
Marissa White
What happens to the children of the family with two parents get divorced? As a child of a divorced home, I had often wondered about the long-term effects that divorce has on the offspring. To analyze the impact of divorce, we must first define divorce itself as the “act of legally ending a marriage” and its prevalence in the modern world. (Sangster) According to Margaret Sangster, the United States has the leading rate of divorce in the world today. (Sangster) Statistics also show that, as of 2015, 6.083 million children live in a home with one of their divorced parents. (Gale) While researching the effects of divorce on children, it became evident to me that the stance of most academics is that …show more content…

Although I agree with the main argument of supporters of divorce to protect children from seeing a dysfunctional family, my personal stance would have to be with the opposition. I believe that divorce has long-term effects on children that parents don’t often consider when initially making the decision to separate. Personally, I have experienced depression as a direct result of the mayhem caused by my parents’ divorce and the every-other-weekend lifestyle that I had to adapt to. This is referred to as the “difficult transition that occurs only after couples separate--the emotional upset, fall in income, diminished parenting, continued conflict, and so.” (Cherlin) This could potentially create a chain of divorce in my family because studies show that “parents with psychological impairments are reportedly more prone to divorce and their children are more likely to experience developmental difficulties.” (Cherlin) This would become important when I am married with children and have to battle my own past and the resulting psychological …show more content…

Ed. K. Lee Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 49-52. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.

"Just Whom Is This Divorce 'Good For?'." Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources. Ed. K. Lee Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 74-78. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.

Cherlin, Andrew J., et al. "Longitudinal studies on effects of divorce on children in Great Britain and the United States." Science252.5011 (1991): 1386+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.
"Living Arrangements of US Children Under 18 Years Old in 2015." Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 May

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