Divorce it may be an Option! New research into the effects of divorce is slowly bringing around a more common belief that with the appropriate actions the effects divorce has on children can be minimized. Constance Matthiessen writes the article "Harry Potter and Divorce Among the Muggles" which helps to give a more personal view point into some of the thought processes and ways a parent may struggle with the idea of a divorce. The desire to shield children from the consequences of divorce is a natural thing for parents to worry and struggle with. Children are often one of the motivating forces in a marriage to stay and work out irreconcilable differences. Recent research is bringing to light findings that children from homes where there is high level of conflict may suffer more long term effects that children from divorced families. Most importantly though a parent or parents have the chance to minimize the effects of the divorce by how you teach your child to deal with problems and how they view the divorce during and shortly after it the divorces or separation occurs. In the article "Harry Potter and the Divorce among the Muggles" by Constance Matthiessen divorce and the struggles faced not only by the children in the family but by the mother of the children over her decision to divorce from her husband is discussed. "For the rest of my life, I will search for the roots of their disappointments and failures in the decision I am
Divorce is not only difficult for parents, but even more difficult for the children. It can hit hard and fast but can also be built up from long term damage and stress on the marriage. Children can view their parent’s divorce in multiple ways. They can visually see it, or they can hear it. Children may also not view the divorce at all. Divorce can be sudden, confusing, and hidden. It can be a quick and relieving process, or it could be slow and painful. The relationship could be fought for night after night with little progress being made. The marriage could be fought verbally or even physically. Hurtful words are thrown to bring an end to the relationship and caring words are thrown to keep the marriage alive.
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.
The divorce rate in the United States is higher than fifty percent today. The divorce rate continues to increase in America due to many reasons, one of them being that society today is a disposable society. Back in the day, when someone had a broken shoe he or she would fix it, and if there was a problem with a couple’s marriage, the two would work through it. But today, it is easier to ignore the problem, throw away what we do not like anymore and move on to the next, which is not the right way to live. In Lorrie Moore’s “A Kid’s Guide to Divorce”, Moore writes about a child and his or her mother. The two are sitting in their living room watching TV as they
In the introduction to the article, the authors David Gately and Andrew Schwebel best wrote “Karl Zinsmeister uses studies of children and divorce to argue against the contention made by many parents that it is better to divorce than to rear children in a marriage with conflict. He maintains that children’s sense of stability and family structure supersedes parental needs.” Throughout the article Zinsmeister uses the headings “Fear and Loathing of Divorce Among the Young”, “Short and Long-Term effects of Divorce on Children”, and “A Catalogue of Behavioral Changes” as a platform to prove/explain his opinions and back them by research.
In today’s modern world things are easily obtainable, people prefer instant gratification. If a married couple is not happy, instead of working things out, they seek instant gratification and an end to their misery which is a divorce. I believe marriage vows are not taken as seriously today as they were in past generations. When children are involved with a divorce the stakes go much higher. A divorce is a life changer for children, their lives become less stable and more disruptive. Instead of sleeping in the same comfortable bed every night, they often find themselves torn between two homes and two people that have a great dislike for one another.
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).
“In the Bahamas, it is predicted that 25% of marriages will end in divorce “, (Brennen, 2004). Divorce can be and ugly and costly affair, especially when it comes to a child's well-being. Divorce affects children in a multitude of ways such as their physical, emotional, social and educational development. According to the article "Divorce's Toll on Children" by Karl Zinsmeister, children exposed to divorce are twice as likely to repeat a grade and five times likelier to be expelled or suspended from school. In the early months after a divorce, young children especially between the ages of 10-14, are less imaginative, more repetitive and passive watchers. They tend to be more dependent, demanding, unaffectionate and disobedient than children from intact families. They are more afraid of abandonment, loss of love and bodily harm. Children who come from divorced families, especially young children, tend to be problematic in the classroom, not just emotionally but academically as well.
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.
Divorce is viewed differently by many people. Sometimes this is due to experiences, what others have said, or looking at studies that are not always accurate. However, not everyone can have the same views about marriage ending in divorce. In the article, “No Easy Answers: Why the Popular View of Divorce Is Wrong” by Constance Ahrons she shows her view on divorce. Ahrons believes that divorce does not have long-lasting damaging effects on children (65). Divorce can affect children in the family but the way the decisions are made is what will change the way the kids are influenced.
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
According to Oxford Dictionaries (n.d.), Divorce is ‘”the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body; legally dissolve one's marriage with someone.” Throughout the twentieth century, the family dynamics have drastically changed. During the course of the twentieth century the family unit has been impacted by the countless amounts of marriages ending in divorce (Hiller & Recoules, 2013, p 77). For one to be able to fully understand how the topic of divorce relates to marriages, families, and blended families one must examine the cost of divorce has on the family unit. The core of this paper will examine the cost of divorce and the effects it has on the children within the family unit. The paper is organized as follows.
Divorce is comparable to an epidemic since it has been filtering through many societies at an increasingly alarming rate. According to the most current statistic, there are more than 2.1 million marriages in the United States (“Children of Divorced Parents”). Out of those, almost half end in divorce. Divorce nowadays is extremely common. In fact, in America there is one divorce every thirty-six seconds (National Marriage and Divorce Rate Trends”). Each year over a million American children suffer from the divorce of their parents (Amato 24-26). Even though it might be shown to benefit some individuals in their own personal case, for the majority it causes a decrease in an individual’s life and puts many people “on a downward trajectory from which they might never fully recover” (Amato). Over long term, the United States divorce rate has been on a rise since 1980, which means more children being affected (Macionis). These children that are affected are faced by emotions of anger, confusion and even fear. These emotions affect their academic performance, social interactions, behavior, self-esteem and other negative effects. This literature review is important in calling attention on the current research studying impacts of divorce on children. The topic of divorce is a wide-ranging topic. However, this particular literature review focuses only on the effects that divorce has on children. The data presented in this paper is collected from
Through out this discussion the reader has seen the effects of divorce on children. These effects are primarily shown in three areas of the childrens lives. These three areas are emotionally, physically, and
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.