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Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Effects of Divorce on Children of Divorced Parents 5
Effects of Divorce on Affected Children’s Behavioral Conduct and Feelings 5
Effects of Divorce on the Affected Children’s Welfare 6
Effects of Divorce on the Affected Child’s Relationships 8
Policy Implications 9
Conclusion 11
References 12
Introduction
Currently, divorce has gone on to be a serious social issue in Israel affecting a substantial number of adults and children annually. From the last leaf of the 20th century, the divorce rates have more than doubled. As at 2018, the rates had increased by 5% to 11000 couples from 2017’s 10661 couples. This is despite the country being considered a family-oriented and pro-natalist society. The divorce rates are more prevalent among the highly-educated individuals and dominant within the Ashkenazi ethnic community. However, the trend is also changing with more lower income couples also divorcing due to numerous reasons such as lacking financial resources for investing in marriages. Regardless of one’s country, the divorce process does entail the separation of parents which means that the parents together with their children and extended families are bound to be affected.
Notably, the increase in divorce rates comes with short and long-term effects on divorced parents’ children. These children are at a higher risk of adjusting to social relationships, educational achievements, psychological adjustments, self-concept, and individual conduct. Numerous studies have looked into the impact of divorce on children, and all of them agreed that the children have a lower sense of well-being on various aspects than the children who grew up in intact families. Children from intact families will have better physical and psychological health and stronger cognitive and social competencies, which boost their educational performances. Conversely, children from divorced families are forced to deal with challenges either emotionally, psychologically, socially, academically, among other aspects. This child’s development fails to reach its full optimal lengths to ensure that one grows to be a stable and independent individual. However, proper support systems for these children aid in alleviating these negative impacts.
The purpose of this research paper is to understand the effects suffered by children of divorced parents. Understanding these effects should aid the research in determining their right strategies to be implemented to help these children have an almost “normal” life. The main objective is to ensure that the children can deal with the numerous effects as they arise from the divorce situation.
The Life Course Perspective
The life course field focuses on developing human beings in one’s lifespan and looks into the factors that affect their growth and direction. The field’s development and capacity to study individuals and their surrounding for some time is partially due to the increased reliance on longitudinal studies on the psychological development concepts that link life experiences to future results and also developing new models to handle the individual and demographic information collected over time (Hickman, 2007).
Each individual undergoes their life-long adaptive process that is affected by both environmental and social factors. Personal decisions and initiatives taken by individuals will shape one’s life course. However, some external forces and limitations will always constrain individuals (Hickman, 2007). Considering the earlier formative years of a dependent child, it is evident that the external factors influence one’s development. Family events such as parental divorce exert a lot of influence on the direction of a child’s life. Parental divorce is not a single event that happens at one time and ends. Instead, it is a process involving emotional and legal separation and the renegotiation of family roles and relationships that were not happening when the parents were together. Divorce encompasses the separation of two persons who shared life, and when these two people had children, they also become part of the process (Hickman, 2007). Each step was taken in the divorce process from when it is agreed upon, the disclosure, the division of roles, and learning to live away from another parent for some time are all stages that will affect an individual.
Effects of Divorce on Children of Divorced Parents
Research conducted by Stone (2019), who assessed the divorce process’s experiences and impacts on children to divorced parents, specifically those aged 8 to 13, would find that each of the children will have their own unique experience. These experiences are welcome with an impact on their emotional and physical nature. The children participants in the research demonstrated continuous processing in feelings towards the divorce, both positive and negative (Stone, 2019). At times, the children would be sad and show the feelings of loss, and on the extreme ends, they would be excited and accept what has happened. The shifting mental states are attributed to the possible defenses incorporated to deal with anxiety. The children are presented with uncertainties which they don’t know how they will span out. Therefore, they choose to exert distinct efforts to exert control and manage the affiliated anxiety. Other effects of the separation are discussed in the subsequent sections:
Effects of Divorce on Affected Children’s Behavioral Conduct and Feelings
In Landucci et al.’s (2008) research, she indicates that divorce negatively influences children to divorced parents in numerous ways. These children have a higher propensity to exhibiting problem behavior even to their adolescent and adult years if the right solutions are not implemented. Notably, the problem behavior needs to be utilized as a warning sign to the parents and their support system that the child is finding it challenging to adjust to the new changes. The problem behavior could be characterized as being disruptive, misbehaving, and ignoring parents’ requests to indicate being frustrated and anxious about the separation. In regards to the adolescents, whether the divorce happened in their earlier childhood years or their adolescent years, they tend to exhibit antisocial behaviors, be aggressive towards authoritative figures, extensively engage in sexual activities and have challenges interacting with their peers (Hickman, 2007). While it is difficult to point out the direct cause of antisocial conduct, social scientists have indicated that they partially arise from the reduced interactions between parents and children. Divorce will bring changes in the child’s household environment due to the changes in the parents’ and children’s interactions. Unfortunately, these changes have a greater risk of causing negative outcomes that affect the child or adolescent behavior. They try to get the attention, involvement, and overall support from both parents (Hickman, 2007).
Effects of Divorce on the Affected Children’s Welfare
Extensive literature has proven that parental divorce causes behavioral and emotional challenges for children. In relation to their mental health and well-being, children of divorced parents have exhibited higher depression and anxiety (Pitelli, 2016). These children will have to deal with feelings of insecurity and low-self-esteem as they question the motive behind their parents’ divorce if they do not know or understand the main reasons for its occurrence. While some psychological effects may be short-term, research has proven that the divorce could lead to long-term effects such as having a higher probability of divorce in their marriages. The children find it difficult to be happy, satisfied, or excited in their childhood in the long run for the self-doubts they have.
Additionally, the negative effects on thes3 children increase because divorce has been associated with socio-economic factors that affect the former’s demeanor. Some scholars have argued that a lower socio-economic status could lead to divorce and further child challenges. Nonetheless, it has been indicated that the net economic effects of divorce, including an average reduction in living standards for single mothers due to a huge reliance on the husband;’s income, will affect one’s mental and physical well-being children (Landucci, 2008).
Effects of Divorce on the Affected Children’s Education
Another negative consequence of divorce on the children in the lower levels of educational attainment. These lower levels could be experienced from the earlier school years into their higher education levels. Most of them fail to meet the academic achievements they would have met if their parents were not divorced (Devor, 2014). Research has consistently exhibited a negative correlation between parental divorce and the children’s educational success to divorced parents. It becomes difficult for adolescents to go through formal education such that they fail to complete high school or enter college. Notably, the decline in educational levels is attributed to the depression or the prevalence of depressive symptoms among the children. When a child is dealing with depressive symptoms, it becomes difficult for them to concentrate and complete the school assignments. The depressive symptoms among students will affect their learning abilities, academic performance, adjustments to the school life, and later professionals (Pitelli, 2016). Apart from the depression, the affected children have their confidence levels affected negatively, thus choosing not to engage in further education. When the individual believes that they cannot succeed, it impedes their educational achievements and career aspirations. \
Additionally, the educational attainments of children to divorced parents will also be due to reduced economic flexibility. For instance, when mothers depend on their husbands financially, their financial capacities are affected after the divorce (Devor, 2014). Therefore, the mothers are forced to relocate to affordable areas, and the children may be forced to change schools. Apart from the forced adjustments affecting children, the children may go on to schools with lower educational standards, affecting their academic achievement. The child fails to reach their full potential due to the changes accrued from the divorce.
Effects of Divorce on the Affected Child’s Relationships
Changes in the relationships of the affected children with their divorced parents are inevitable. The children undergo disruptions in parental relationships in the entire process, which mostly is impaired. Some children may feel a devastating loss of a parent, especially when the divorce grants one parent full custody of the children. The child is left traumatized by the events since they can no longer interact with their other parents as they did before (Landucci, 2008). Consequently, the child is harmed mentally and emotionally as they try to get attention from the single parent. Sometimes, children are open to particular parents, and thus, after the divorce, it becomes difficult for them to open up. This leads to the prevalence of depressive symptoms if they fail to have proper support systems.
Furthermore, the children of divorced parents could easily have their adult romantic relationships negatively affected. The children of divorced parents are twice as likely to undergo divorce than the children coming from non-divorce families. In some cases, the children of divorced parents will have their confidence levels affected such that the challenge is carried onto their adult intimate relationships (Mortis, 2019). Also, these children may be encouraged to get married early because the belief that the marriage institution is temporary and divorce is a possibility. Therefore, even when there are chances for the right marriages to be pursued and succeed, these lower expectations will hinder their success. The adult children of divorced parents may feel not prepared for marriage and thus be extremely afraid to commit even when they received genuine love from their partners.
The adolescent children whose parents have divorced become more hesitant to enter into intimate relationships as they are not confident enough in their capacities to sustain them. Research by Jackson (2015) indicated that these lower confidence levels in relationships are attributed to the parents failing to avail positive models for their children to navigate romantic relationships. When the divorce situation is married with high conflicts, the parent and child relationship is weakened, and the latter could develop negative perspectives and outlooks towards marital commitment. Nonetheless, when parents have undergone divorce but ensure that they teach their children how to configure and preserve relationships, even if it is with other spouses, these children can develop better attitudes towards romantic relationships (Jackson, 2015). A child is taught the dynamics of relationships to understand that not all are similar, but they need to be always respected. If the children have close sibling relationships even after the divorce, the greater sense of closeness becomes a positive support system.
Policy Implications
The children of divorced parents are at a greater risk of negative effects physically, emotionally, socially, academically, in their relationships, among other aspects. These effects compound each other such that one occurrence, such as the lack of attention, could trigger another negative effect such as problem behavior. It is prudent that the right policies are implemented to protect the children from the effects of the increasing challenge. Failure to have the right strategies for these children that will primarily provide support systems threatens their abilities to develop appropriately and live productive lives (Mortis, 2019).
First, even as parents seek divorce on legal grounds, they must be enrolled in the right therapy that will enlighten them on how to conduct themselves to better their children’s lives together with their own. Parents need to ensure that they maintain a healthy relationship with their children as it is fundamental in the latter’s development of social capital. Social capital is a fundamental psychosocial resource originating from the important relationships in the child’s life. Therefore, parents need to maintain a healthy relationship with their children even after the divorce process. This is achieved through consistent parental support that impacts the long-term development and life adjustments for the child. His parental support will ensure that the child has enough confidence in relationships, interactions, academics, and career advancements. Therapists and family-life educators working together with divorcing parents need to consider this information in their discussions. The parents are encouraged to maintain consistent and healthy relationships with their children and other family members (Jackson, 2015).
School counselors need to be familiar with warning signs for children having challenges dealing with the stress of divorce (Stone, 2019). Some of the warning signs include attendance, discipline issues, loneliness, self-blame, among others. Hence, the counselor could incorporate measures such as group counseling for the children affected then facilitate discussions in feelings and coping strategies (Landucci, 2008). Some children may want individual counseling, and thus, it should also be implemented for them. Individual counseling will ensure they get the one-on-one attention they crave, and also they are comfortable sharing their feelings. Parent counseling is also necessary to provide them with techniques that will streamline the children’s adjustment process. Continuous interactions between the stakeholders will help the child be at peace with the daily transitions at home and school.
The legislative policymakers should also focus on understanding why the country is experiencing high divorce rates. Conclusion this understanding should prompt them to create a better environment for the parents and children, reducing the negative impacts. Legislators typically handle issues at the macro-level hence develop various social policies, including divorce and child support laws. An examination of these policies shows that they can also be evaluated and improved. For instance, the development of divorce regulations needs to consider how divorced parents’ children will achieve their psychological well-being despite the adjustments. The development of these laws will prompt society to take measures to mitigate the negative effects of parental divorce. The development of programs that deal with the risk factors predisposed to divorced parents’ children and point out the wider social context to boost functional adjustments. Parents could improvise several intervention strategies that will help identify the social factors that could increase the negative psychological effects on the children and have them tailored to cater to their own needs.
Conclusion
The children of divorced parents remain a crucial group that needs proper support systems during and after the divorce process. These children are predisposed to numerous risk factors that could lead to them suffering numerous negative factors. However, with the right strategies, these children will receive the right care and support to mitigate the negative effects. Extensive literature is present concerning these effects. The remaining research gap comes up with workable strategies that parents, counselors, and social groups could implement and reduce the negative effects. The children of divorced parents must undergo an almost similar life cycle to become better independent individuals.
References
Devor, C. S. (2014). Parental divorce, educational expectations, and children’s post-baccalaureate educational attainment. Retrieved from https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4962&context=etd
Jackson, L. (2015). The Impact of Parental Divorce on Children’s Confidence Levels in Young Adulthood. Retrieved from https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3542&context=thesesdissertations
Landucci, N. (2008). The impact of divorce on children: What school counselors need to know. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.390.7280&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Mortis, B. (2019). The Effects Of Parental Divorce And Remarriage On Emerging Adult’s Romantic Attachment Styles. Retruieved from https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1075&context=hes_etds
Pittelli, B. V. (2019). Mental Health and the Relationship Between Parental Divorce and Children’s Higher Degree Acquisition. Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6194&context=etd
Stone, J. F. (2019). A psychosocial study explores children’s experience of their parents’ divorce or separation (Doctoral dissertation, Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust/the University of Essex). Retrieved from http://repository.tavistockandportman.ac.uk/2075/1/Stone%20-%20Psychosocial.pdf
