...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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...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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...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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...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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...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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...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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...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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...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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...Effects of Divorce on Kids Molly Rudkin Sociology 1113 Sec. 16 Years ago in the 1950s divorces were frowned upon. Very rarely did people hear about a couple getting a divorced. Many people considered divorce as a mark of personal failure. As years have gone by and society has changed in many different ways, divorce has become socially accepted in today’s society. Divorce is no longer considered a taboo. With divorce, different people are affected by it. Obviously the family members are the ones affected the most by this decision. But one group of family members that will always be affected, especially in the long run, are the kids. There are many causes of divorce today. There’s the fact that individualism is increasing and becoming a trend. Many people are so use to being on their own that when they have someone else in their lives that they also have to take care of, they’re not use to the adjustment (Society the Basics, pg. 386). Especially with the rise of independence women now have in today’s society, they no longer need a man to depend on. Women are more independent and are now able to support themselves. With the rise of women independency, divorces are now happening due to this. Some men aren’t use to being married to a dominant woman. Divorces involving children usually affect the child more than most people think. The kids are always at crossroads when it comes to making decisions involving parents. They feel like they are torn in two. “By not taking sides...
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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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...What is the Psychological Effect on Children during a Divorce? John Simpson Professor Patricia Dzandu Introduction to Psychology June 5th, 2011 Abstract In today's society, half of all marriages end in divorce. Many of those marriages involve children. Parents who are involved in a divorce are often concerned about the psychological effect on their children. During the time of a divorce the parents may be preoccupied with the ongoing problems that are involved but they still hold their roles as the most important people in their children’s lives. While a divorce may be devastating or relieving to a couple, children can become confused and scared by the threat to their security. But if a child feels loved and secured throughout the divorce, he or she may not be harmed during the divorce proceedings. Reflecting on these concerns, this paper aims to determine the psychological effects on children during a divorce. What is the Psychological Effect on Children during a Divorce? The definition of divorce, as explained by Merriam-Webster Dictionary “is the action or an instance of legally dissolving a marriage”. But there is more to that word than the simple definition? Divorce affects more than just the couple involved. There are more consequences than just the legal dissolving of a marriage. Even the metaphorical definition, ‘dissolving’, brings to mind harmful effects. Things that dissolve tend to harm others around it. Acid burns when it contacts the human skin...
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...Children of Divorce MBrooks University Abstract Within the past 30 years it is safe to say that divorce is an epidemic that has affected about fifty percent of families in the United States. When discussing the topic of divorce, one must think about the many issues they must face in the ‘long term’, and in the present that affects children. Many problems have added to the family’s interaction before the divorce, as well as, ongoing conflict afterward. The stages of divorce affect children in different ways depending on their coping skills in their stage of development. Furthermore, the consequences of divorce may impact the child’s overall sense of security in meeting their most basic needs. Studies have also shown that children’s responses to divorce can attribute to behavioral problems. Children mimic what they see, so reassuring your children is a vital part of getting them through this difficult time. Further discussions will pose positive attributes due to a great support system and having well-adjusted children after divorce. Children of Divorce Vows are exchanged in the presence of our Father, and the verse that changes everything from that moment of promise on is—“a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? Matthew 19:5. ’And, you may kiss the bride…” Blissful couples leave the church with the intention of living happily ever after, not really thinking the statistics are against them from...
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...Considering all the repercussions involved in divorce, such as economic and emotional damage, is it better to stay in an unhappy marriage for the sake of the children? Divorce creates a vicious family cycle that is most difficult to break once it has begun. Psychological, economic and emotional methods of thinking must be completely reconfigured in order to have a remote chance that the cycle in families will break. Divorce represents a catastrophic change in the marital cycle. Divorce may bring to light many areas of marital conflict that children could be previously unaware of (Hines, 1997). So much of a child’s happiness and fulfillment is dependent upon their parents. It may be difficult for children to avoid taking sides in parental disputes and conflicts that occur during or after the divorce or separation. How divorce affects the child and child-parent relationships, the legal implications of divorce on the couple, and the impact of divorce on the society at large will be examined. Much evidence from various sources concurs with the theory that children, who are directly exposed to divorce, suffer more than children from intact families in a variety of ways. They exhibit more conduct problems, more symptoms of psychological problems, lower academic achievement, more social difficulties and worse self-esteem (Amarto, 1997). Although various legal and therapeutic interventions are used to improve the well being of children of divorce, little research has been conducted to...
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