...Half of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage. Of these, close to half will also see the breakup of a parent’s second marriage, and forty percent of children growing up in America today are being raised without their fathers. You may not believe this but for some kids divorce has more of an impact on children than death. Parents are going through divorces when children are too young to even understand what is going on, what will these kids be thinking when they're sixteen, and they do not have a dad. Children get affected by so many things at a young age, but what people don’t understand, is that children are smarter than you think. Diane McSweeney, a marriage, family, and child counselor for the San Diego Unified...
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...Divorce can affect children regardless of their age. For those that are for divorce would agree that conflict involving the family would be resolved, allowing the children to escape the trauma they may face. Children, especially those that are young are unable to process events during this time that may become stressful. The divorce of one’s parents can have a long-term effect on everyone that is involved. Relationships may become pivotal assuming the different facets that impacts each child. The end of a marriage can be very tragic, especially when children are involved. It can go on to have a rippling affect and affect children in different ways. Children are very vulnerable and may be impacted by the now divided family. It is the theory that when one’s parents become divorced, they have a higher chance at becoming divorced as well. It is clear that divorce can has effects and can cause long-term issues later down the road. If parents fail to handle the situation properly and with care, children could have feelings of alienation, abandonment, issues with insecurity, and confusion that could adventure in relationships into adulthood. These circumstances could cause children to feel...
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...Research Paper: The Impact of Divorce on Children Jimmy Trolinger Liberty University On-Line Author Note Jimmy Trolinger, Psychology Student at Liberty University Prepared for Professor Jennifer Kennedy Psychology 210 D-12 Liberty University Abstract 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 studies show how we can help guide them through religious implications as well as legal problems. Parents and caregivers need to be able to identify and know how to help children with their psychological, social, religious, and legal issues in this critical and chaotic period of the child’s life. How Divorce Affects Our Children Researchers have done many research projects and studies on how divorce can affect children. Many problems can develop in a child during and following a divorce as well as the period of pre-divorce. Some of the problems that a child can have before during and after a divorce are mental health, behavioral, social, and religious problems. Psychologists, councilors, teachers, and parents...
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...Composition 18 March 2015 The Affects Divorce Has on Children “But in the real world, you couldn’t really just split a family down the middle, mom on one side, dad the other, with the child equally divided between. It was like when you ripped a piece of paper into two: no matter how you tried, the seams never fit exactly right again. It was what you couldn't see, those tiniest of pieces, that were lost in the severing, and their absence kept everything from being complete.” - Sarah Dessen Throughout the United States divorce has increasingly risen in the past years. “In 2000, 49% of US marriages ended in divorce” (Gianoulis). Children everywhere are becoming the products of broken families; caught in between a mommy and daddy, when before, there was no choice. Before, all there was was comfort, familiarity and stability. Although divorce may seem like the best option in an unhappy situation, the affects on the children’s emotional state can be harmful. These effects are emotionally, psychological, academically, socially, and economically damaging. To begin, in a study by Laumann-Billings and Emery they found that children of divorce suffer emotionally. This allows for new generations of broken families to be made. The saying “the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree” would apply. In the article, Divorce by Brackett and Woolly, the authors say approximately 400,000 of the estimated million cases of divorce a year result in children being “emotionally disturbed.” Research...
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...the divorce rate in Maryland 2.9 per 1,000 total populations residing in the area. The divorce rate throughout the whole United States in 2010 was 3.6 per 1,000 total populations. (Marriage and Divorce) The rate that people are getting divorced is an increasing number by weeks to months to years. The little to no thought that gets put into people getting married, but do not realize the negative outcomes divorce has on a single person. “20 to 25 percent of children do show signs that they are not dealing well with this change in the relationship between their mothers and fathers, and some of the problems they develop may continue into adult life.” (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services) Divorce for children can be a confusing and sensitive topic to live through or talk about, it can be frightening, life changing, and unpredictable. Divorce has a negative affect on children they drop out of school, abuse substances, behave in sexual acts, relationships with their parents decline, and social classes might be affected. The first divorce in America was on January 5, 1643. “In the first record of a legal divorce in the American colonies, Anne Clarke of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a divorce from her absent and adulterous husband, Denis Clarke, by the Quarter Court of Boston, Massachusetts. In a signed and sealed affidavit presented to John Winthrop Jr., the son of the colony's founder, Denis Clarke admitted to abandoning his wife, with whom he had two children, for...
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...Palak Patel Mrs. Roman Eng102 Date: 03/16/2012 Divorce in America In the 21st century, so many Americans are struggling with divorce. Studies show that approximately sixty percent of marriage in America ends in divorce, and this does not seem to be slow down (“Divorce”). Nowadays, divorce is more common as compared to the past. Furthermore, so many issues are related to divorce: couples do not want to compromise about their relationship, women are becoming more independent, and couples are getting married too young. According to Wilson, “couples who live together before marriage have higher divorce rates than those who do not, and less educated couples tend to divorce at higher rates than those with more education” (“Introduction to Divorce”). It is also possible that couples are getting married for the wrong reasons, and they are not putting enough effort into their relationship, and their marriages end in divorce. Children are struggling as well as their parents because when parents become divorced the children become divorced too. After parents get divorced, children face a lot of stress during their lives. In the 21st century, the divorce rate in the American family is increasing because married couples are refusing to compromise about their relationship which is posing a potential danger to children. The divorce rate continues to increase in America over last twenty five years. As a matter of facts, the divorce rate is higher in today’s society compared to the past...
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...How Divorce Impacts Children Under the Age of 18 F. Jeanpierre Psychology Abstract In this research you will see how divorce impacts children under the age of 18. The effects are not universal. Divorce affects children differently based on their age, personality and sexuality. Divorce affects children both mentally and physically. In this research, you will see how divorce can impact children immediately as well as post divorce. I will start with infants, preschool age children, school-aged and then adolescents. Then you will see how divorce affects children spiritually. Furthermore, you will see how the affect of divorce varies based on the child's gender. Finally, in this research paper, you will see ways to help a child adjust after divorce. Infants The first age group is infants. Not too much is known on the affects of divorce for children under the age of 3. Some have speculated that children under the age of 3 does not always suffer from their parents divorced. Thus, sociologist and psychologist agreed that problems in personality can developed if the child had a strong bond between the parents and those bonds are broken due to the divorce. Professionals highly encourage parents to make arrangements so the potential, full affect of the divorce won’t impact the child as much. The conflict of divorce may not be understood by infants, but they can react to changes in the parent’s level of energy and involvement. Infants can lose their appetite, have an upset...
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...Potential Effects of Divorce Throughout Different Stages of a Child’s Development Nisha S. Sunny Child Development: APSY 203 Professor: Catherine Walker Divorce in the American society is becoming an increasingly common trend as the years go by. Fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce and with each passing year, about 2 million children are brought into a whirlwind filled with changes and chaos after their parent’s separation (Divorce Rate). During this period of turmoil and intense emotion, the child is expected to rebuild numerous aspects of their lives and understand a series of complex events. They are most likely to see the sudden difference in financial stability, new duties around the house and may receive less nurturing from their parents as well. These series of events will lead to a difference in each of Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems, which include, the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and the chronosystem. This ecological systems theory primarily puts the center of attention on the quality of a child’s environment and also focuses on how these complex layers will each effect a child’s development through the divorce period. Many may think that while a child of divorce is in their infant stage, that a divorce will not affect their lives. This is mainly because it is believed that the child will automatically grow into a life where they are used to their parents being separated and not...
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...Divorce and the Destruction of the Family Ron Swanson Western Washington University The Destruction of the Family Throughout history, societies that valued traditional marriage and sexual abstinence were able to remain fundamentally strong and have flourished. Once a society decides to abandon these simple principles, destruction inevitably follows. J. Unwin (1934) wrote, “In human records, there is no instance of a society retaining its energy after a complete new generation has inherited a tradition which does not insist on prenuptial and postnuptial continence” (Unwin, 1934, p. 174). In today’s society, family and marriage are not defined by the traditional definition handed down through several millennia of history; rather the definition has been warped, and a new unstable version of the family has been accepted by our society. Traditional marriage is by its nature, the foundation of the family. The family is the building block of society, and marriage is the basis of the family. The devaluation of the conventional family, and more specifically, the destruction of traditional marriage by divorce, can have no other outcome but the destruction of our society. There are many reasons to evaluate why we have arrived at this state in our society: the growth of consumerism and commercialism, influence of Hollywood over our lives, the decline of religiosity in the United States, the decline of the social order and neighborhood relationships. All of these reasons are legitimate...
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...Context The divorce is a breaking-up of marriage. The divorce can be an upsetting experience: affecting finances, household jobs. The only countries that do not confess divorce are Philippiness and the Vatican city, these countries have no procedure for divorce. The types of divorce: contested divorce,at-fault divorce, summarydivorce, no-faultdivorce, uncontested divorce, collaborative divorce, mediated divorce. The divorce of parents is associated with weak emotional bonds between children in adult hood and parents.(Zill, Morrison, Coiro, 1993 ). In addition, after divorce, a set of the intense circumstances (economic difficulty, living in poor areas, lack of social support) can destroy quality of interaction of mother child.(Amato and Booth,...
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...CHILDREN IN DIVORCED FAMILIES The article Children and Divorce written by the American Academy of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry (2011) gives us an understanding of how divorce not only affects the married couple going through it but also their children. Divorce in families with children is very common in today's society. According to this article fifty percent of all marriages end up in a divorce. Divorce can be a very difficult time not just for parents but for children too. Even when parents try to hide their marital problems, children can still feel the tension between their parents. Sometimes parents turn to their children for comfort when things get very difficult and overwhelming. Children sometimes believe that they are the reason of their parent’s divorce. They tend to feel at fault. It is very important to explain the children the many factors that are involved during a divorce and how it’s not their fault. Both spouses need to have a time together with the children and talk to them. Children need to be reassured that the love parents have for them will not change. This is very important since many of the children’s problems come from feeling abandoned by their parents when divorce happens. Parents should not blame each other in front of the children. Any signs of distress in children should be address quickly. Usually the family doctor can refer the parents and children to a psychiatrist for treatment. The American Academy of Child and Adolescence...
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...The Impact of Divorce on Children Sociology 210 Amy Totten Abstract How do children react to divorce? In most recent times, the impact of divorce on children has emerged as a problem of concern. Divorce may be the most devastating situation that can happen to children. Alarmingly, studies have revealed that 50 percent of children under the age of 18 will experience the dissolution of their parents’ marriage. When a divorce occurs, parents tend to forget about the child and do not realize how much of a negative impact that it has on the child. Children already go through enough stress of just everyday situations and to add to it only make things worse. The impact of divorce will affect each child differently, but all will experience some type of emotional distress. This paper will provide a detailed description of the emotional and psychological effects of divorce on infants; school aged children and adolescents, behavioral development in children of divorce, and strategies to help children cope with divorce. The Impact of Divorce on Children The traditional lifestyle of living with both parents is almost rare in today’s society. Divorce is a very tragic situation especially when it involves children. As the world turns, the divorce rates continue to rise. Studies have revealed that 50 percent of children under the age of 18 will experience divorce. In the process of the divorce parents really don’t understand that through divorce it affects them but it also...
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...Is Divorce A Good Or Bad Thing? Introduction Divorce is defined as a marriage ending before any of the spouses die. According to dictionary.com, “divorce is a judicial declaration dissolving a marriage in whole or in part, especially one that releases the husband and wife from all matrimonial obligations.” Some countries in which divorce has become commonplace are the United States and South Africa. Divorce is not considered as big a deal today as it has been in the past. There has been an increase in divorce. Some people believe that the age of a child is an important factor in determining the impact divorce may have on a child (Beekman, 1986). Some also believe that, gender has an impact on the reaction to divorce on both children and parents (Whitton, Rhoades, Stanley, & Markman, 2008). Others believe that the impact divorce may have on parents is when they have less personal relationship commitment to their own marriage and are less confident in their own ability to maintain a happy marriage (Whitton, Rhoades, Stanley, & Markman, 2008). People may also believe that the communities that surround the family unit may be the cause of divorce (Wolfinger, 2005). One of the positive reasons for divorce is that women are becoming dependent and working in many different workforces (Jennifer, 2010). The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of divorce. In order to do this, the paper is divided in two sections. The first section will examine the...
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...Divorce affects children of every ethnic background, religion, and socioeconomic status. Approximately 50% of all first marriages will end in divorce, with over 1 million children being affected per year (Ahrons, 2007). Chaos and stress, probably feelings that have been prevalent for some time prior to divorce, result and impact the now divided family unit. Children are particularly vulnerable to the affects of divorce. Unable to understand and process such complex matters of life, children resort to alternative ways of expressing their heartache and confusion. Not only is there an emotional impact on these children’s lives but there is also a psychological impact with these children dealing with the effects of relocation. Children are forced to become independent and moral thinkers at such a young age which they might not be mentally prepared for which can result in future consequences. A major contributor to the well being of children after a divorce are the parents who need to remain attentive to their children’s needs and stay active participants in their growing years. This outlines the systems theory which describes how the family needs to work out strategies to deal with new challenges at each stage of life. In order for children to recover a stable perspective of the family after a divorce, the parents must take into consideration the emotional stability of their children, the effects of relocation and possible child coping strategies to help this difficult process...
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...Effects of Divorce for Children Linda G. Chelette Riverside City College Ear 20 Tuesday (6:00pm-9:10pm) Tanya Gonzalez September 30, 2014 Research has shown effects on divorce for children have many pros and cons. Some cons are psychological problems, anxiety, lower self-esteem, and depression. Academic performance is also an aspect that affects a child as well as having a healthy relationship. Children from divorced parents also develop conduct problems as well as conflict in sexual activity. Pros would be controlling hostile conflict, improving child and parent relationship as well as improving the quality of parenting. Many experts may agree to disagree on the effects of divorce for children. Studies have shown children with divorce parents have higher anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. This effect’s more females with divorced parents compared to females with intact families. As for male’s it affects them in different ways they become hopeless and discouraged. The depression carries on to adulthood effecting children with low self-esteem, this effect’s personal relationships with friendship as well as the opposite sex. (Portnoy, 2008) Academic performance also affects children with divorced parents; lower test scores will also exhibit lower educational aspirations. Children are likely to drop out of school and achieve lower levels of education. Which eventually effects lower adult occupational status in the long run can lead to school dropouts. Children of divorced...
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