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School Guidance Counseling Group: When Parents Divorce Essay example

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Divorce is a significant and mounting problem influencing children’s social and academic development. It has been found to be one of the most traumatic events that can occur in the life of a child (Beverly, Molloy, Hart, Ginsberg & Mulvey, 2007). Support groups have been found to have a positive effect on students by helping them deal with the situation constructively and mitigating their attention back onto their academic performance and positive peer relations (Beverly et al, 2007). Corey, Corey and Corey (2014) highlight the first step in planning a group is to come up with a proposal. This purpose of this paper is to put forth that proposal for implementation of a divorce support group in a particular school setting. …show more content…

In every school there are students who are affected by divorce in some way. Statistics show that about fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce (Kim, 2011). Whether a child is currently going through the strife of their parents’ divorce or have in the past there will be a varied of adverse effects that it has on a child’s wellbeing, growth, and academic performance. This provides a definite need for intervention and for many children, school is the only place where they can obtain counseling to address their emotional needs (Hoagwood, Burns, Kiser, Ringeisen & Schoenwald, 2011). There are two specific areas where children are affected. Some children will feel the effects of going through the divorce with their parents. The turmoil and adjustment period can have great adverse effects (Hughes & Kirby, 2000). The troubling event can occupy a student to the point of being unable to focus on academics. Healthy relationships with family and peers can also become difficult and deficient (Kim, 2011). More students will feel the effects of living in a single parent family from birth (Hughes & Kirby, 2000). Hughes and Kirby (2000) confirm that some of the problems that arise as a result of both situations include poorer test scores, pronounced aggression, depression, and low self-esteem. Furthermore, adolescents of divorced homes are more likely to use drugs, engage in sexual

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