Although divorce is well known for the effects it has on the child/children, some people, such as divorce attorneys or mediators, believe divorce is better for the child/children than an argumentative home. These people think divorce is better for the child/children because according to them, in an argumentative home the child/children have to witness their parents fighting which makes them feel unstable. Although it is true that an abusive home can be dangerous, a study has been done on children with married parents versus children with divorced parents, and the results were only forty-four percent of children in a divorced home feel emotionally safe, while seventy-nine percent of children with married parents feel emotionally safe (Tamar …show more content…
Mark Guralnick, a family attorney who has worked on many gray divorces, agrees when he states “Adult children of a gray divorce are definitely affected because now they are affected by the possibility of having to take in their senior parents as if they were the children” (Saggio 2). In other words, the stress of having to take care of their parents in addition dealing with the crushing weight of the divorce, the millennials have begun to push off the possibility of marriage altogether. With the increasing divorce rate for “grey-haired” couple tripling over the past two centuries, there has been a decrease in in divorces from the younger generation due to the lack of marriages from those under thirty. Another issue the grown children of divorcing couple have to deal with is the stress of their parents giving information about the divorce which causes boundary issues. The parents also tend to lean on their child/children for emotional, and in some cases, financial support. Terry Gaspard, an author and therapist, himself states “Adult children may be called on to help, but they shouldn’t let it break them, clear boundaries are important” (Saggio 2). Gaspard’s point is millennials should not be depended on to take care of their parents, or have the stress due to much information from the divorce. Even children who grew up in a split home still carry the stress from their parents divorce. Research has shown fourteen percent of children have felt like an outsider in their own home at times along with having to take sides in their parents conflict’s.Thirty-two percent felt like an adult even though they were still a kid, and thirty-four felt it was stressful in their family (Lewin 5). Basically
In a journal discussing the behavior risks of children during a divorce, Gustavsen, Nayga Jr., and Wu state that “Divorce can also cause disruptions and emotional stress for children through parental separation, hostility, and residential/school dislocation” (474). Yes the loud arguing and vulgar words used between the parents while in the process of a divorce can be very emotional and hard for the child to hear, but so can the physical separation of the family in general. When a family is separated through divorce, the children can be bounced around from parent to parent depending on the legal situation or parenting schedule. The children may not gain a close relationship with one of the parents through this setup. A problem that may arise out of the setup is the hatred of the other parent being presented to the children. The children may form a bias of one of the parents based on the parents expressed views of one another. In a journal discussing the long-term effects of a divorce, it says that “Initially, Hetherington (1972) found that compared to other girls, daughters of divorced parents sought more attention from men” (Johnsson, Njardvik, Olafsdottir, and Gretarsson 101). Many children may not have had a strong connection or personal relationship with their father or mother because of the legal parenting schedule
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.
Divorce is one of many controversial subjects in family and human development research. What inspired me to critically analyze the article “Does Divorce Create Long-Term Negative Effects for Children?” is the challenge it would be for me to put my bias aside considering I am from a divorced home. After reading the article and analyzing it over and over, I can’t help but think that the writer answering “YES” to this controversial question overlooked many variables and over generalized his findings and research. With Zinsmeister overgeneralizing his research, not considering enough alternate explanations for long-term negative effects divorce, and his lack of relevant information needed to assess reliability and validity are why I find this article to be insightful but not accurate and hope to show why.
Amato, Paul R., and Bruce Keith. "Parental Divorce and the Well-Being of Children: A Meta-Analysis." Journal of Marriage and the Family 110.1 (1991): 26-46. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
Furthermore, assumptions about divorce may be primarily be connected to the idea that happy homes create happy children whereas, unhappy, separated homes create the children to have problems. Moreover, what should be taken into account is that children learn what they live and that parents are role models. Not only do parents create the ideal of a good work ethic, skills, communication, logic but also commitment. In relation, the cycle of abuse also may be taught to a child. If a child sees abuse in the home he or she is more likely to exhibit the same actions compared to children from non - violent environments. Parents are still the bearers of large responsibilities according to their children and cannot just blame it on the media any longer. Although divorce is seen by many Americans as an unfortunate ending to a chapter in life, many still make the choice.
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 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
Most researchers look at how children react and are effected when they experience parental divorce. Divorce is looked at as something “bad” for everyone who is effected by the situation. Divorce in the United States has the highest rate in the world. Over one million people a year get divorced and sixty percent of those divorces effect children (article 2). At the time of the divorce it seems like a horrible experience but, people never think about what would happen if the marriage stayed the way it was. Couples get divorced for many different reasons it could be because there was abuse, fighting, cheating and even if the couple was just no longer in love. “Children appear to be better off in cases in which the divorce substantially reduces
The first area that affects children of divorce is the emotional aspect. One of the emotional changes seen in students is that they lash out more verbally. In other words they become more argumentative. Frequently this is seen in the way that respond to their parents. Often times these Incidents occur when one or the other of the parents is dealing with a discipline issue. Another place this aggression can be seen is at school. It occurs when a teacher asks
L., Feng, H., Kampen, R., & Schimmele, C. M. (2010) have a very strong statement on this issue. The results that concluded the article are very scientific but I believe there is much more that they need to look into when it comes to family stability. How much are the parents involved with the childs life, do both parents contribute equally in the childrens live. Whether the family is financially stable, it also depends on whether the children have a disability, whether it is ADD, ADHD, FAS, the author never considered these aspects of the children either. I do agree with some of the conclusions because most children are affected by divorce whether it is emotionally or
“Since 1972, more than a million youngsters have been involved in a divorce each year” (Zinsmeister). When one reviews the countless ways that divorce affects children, this statistic becomes overwhelmingly depressing. Nearly half of all marriages end in divorce. How did society get to this point? Divorce has become so normalized in the culture today that many people do not even realize the harm that divorce is causing children on a daily basis. Even what most people would consider to be the least harmful divorce situation possible is typically still wreaking havoc on a child’s life. Studies done by sociologists have found that divorced couples describe being happier and more satisfied than individuals who stayed in unhappy or failing marriages (Issitt). However, what these researchers fail to realize is that the children in these families are being negatively affected by their parent’s actions. A recent study showed that “As many as 25 percent of teens whose parents divorce end up depressed or abuse dangerous substances” (Gallup). Parents need to grasp the fact that their happiness is not the only important factor to consider in situations of divorce. The child’s emotional, physical, and psychological wellbeing is at stake when a couple decides to divorce. Divorce often negatively affects children by causing emotional trauma and guilt, behavioral changes, financial difficulties, and eventually problematic future
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,
Compared to children of divorced families, children of non-divorced families are not exposed to custody battles, divorce settlements, etc. Children of intact families are less likely to be exposed to traumatic experiences at a young age, thus keeping their lives stable and secure, while children of divorce are more likely to have an unstable life moving forward. Because of this, children of divorce are more likely to latch onto abusive behaviors throughout adolescent years, such as drug abuse.
One of the biggest effects of divorce is the effect it has on our children. Most couples get married and have children shortly after, and all decision made by the couples directly affect their children. Studies show that divorce has one of the most negative effects on children. Children living in single parent homes are more likely to be pregnant as teenagers, drop out of high school, abuse drugs and have behavioral issues. Furthermore due to the high dropout rates of single parent children they often have hard times finding jobs due to their lack of education. Often times we will see that children from broken homes will also have issues maintaining long term relationships as well. Studies show that children who parents are divorced or separated marriages will end in divorce as well. One last scary effect of divorce is that 92 percent of inmates in California State correctional facilities are products of single parent homes; in other words at some point when they were children their parents either divorced or became separated.
An opposing viewpoint contradicts my perspectives on the detrimental impacts divorce poses for children and adolescents in particular. Certain theories suggest that divorce is necessary and beneficial in providing relief to children who experience negativity and depression as a result of conflict within the family unit. This argument maintains that divorce does not harm children, who in fact engage in delinquent acts whilst cohabiting with their struggling parents in a violent atmosphere.