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Effects of divorce on children introduction
Effects of divorce on children introduction
Effects of divorce on children introduction
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It has often been said that if takes a community to raise a child and this is true. With the amount of individuals having children out of wedlock and the divorce rate constantly increasing more and more home are being run by one-parent. One parent raising the child does not just have an effect on the parent but the child as well. This particular social problem will be looked at from multiple perspectives, also the symbolic interactionist, functional/ dysfunctional, and conflict view of divorce.
A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable. In many people eyes divorce is a social problem, because families were designed to be with a mother, father, and children. This topic was chosen because I am a product of divorced parents and am also raising children as a divorced parent. It is easy is some ways and difficult in others. That is said because there is no way a female parent can teach a boy how to be a man and no way can a male parent teach a girl how to be a lady.
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Issues such as discipline and parent working outside the home can be stressful for the parent and child. The parent can be either too lenient or too excessive with their discipline. This will either cause the child to lose respect for the parent and run wild or feel the parent was too hard on them and runaway. Parents have to be one way at all times, not look to be their child’s friend but someone that they can look to for advice and strength when
Since the dawn of civilised society, children have suffered from losing one or both of their parents. “Half of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage” (Bilotta, 1). Children being brought out in single house household are more likely to become depressed and have problems with their peers. In addition “Family Timeline” by ProQuest, in 1920 points out that “The divorce rate is approximately eight per 1,000 marriages” and today that rate has skyrocketed to 50% (Proquest,1). Proquest clearly rationalizes why the divorce rate has risen. “As more women become educated and join the workforce divorce becomes economically possible for them” (Proquest, 2). Marriages have often been a necessity for
Divorce is becoming a worldwide phenomenon, significantly affecting children’s well-being. It radically changes their future causing detrimental effects. According to (Julio Cáceres-Delpiano and Eugenio Giolito, 2008) nearly 50% of marriages end with divorce. 90% of children who lived in the USA in the 1960s stayed with their own biological parents, whereas today it makes up only 40% (Hetherington, E. Mavis, and Margaret Stanley-Hagan, 1999). Such an unfavorable problem has been increasing, because in 1969, the legislation of California State changed the divorce laws, where spouses could leave without providing causes (Child Study Center, 2001). This resolution was accepted by the other states and later, the number of divorced people has been steadily growing. Such a typical situation is common for most countries in the world, which negatively affects children’s individuality. However, remarkably little amount of people can conceive the impact of marital separation caused to offspring. (? passive) Many children after separation of parents are exposed to a number of changes in the future. They have to be getting used to a further living area, feelings and circumstances. Their response to divorce can vary and depends on age, gender and personal characteristics. This essay will show the effects of divorce on children under various aspects such as educational, psychological and social impact. In addition, it will contain data about the divorce rate in the US and present disparate reactions of children. It will also include adequate recommendations for parents as to how act to children after divorce, in order to minimize the adverse effect on children.
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 a process that many people in America go through. The divorce rate continues to escalate over the years. Divorce is a serious problem, it is a gradual process that ultimately results in families breaking up. There are various factors in which a marriage can fail and end up in divorce. Some skip the step of trying to reconcile things and make it work. In some cases it is easy for a divorce to take place. For instance, in cases where both parties are in agreement and have no children it is easier to handle a divorce. But in the cases where children are present, what happens to the kids? Both parents are at each others throats or one is devastated from the rejection, what role does the child play? It is a hard thing to cope with as an adult imagine as a little one or even a teenager, it affects them in more ways than anyone can imagine. It can affect them both physically and emotionally. The effects of divorce are immense, it permanently weakens the bond or relationship between a child and his parents. Can lead to them reaching out or looking to others for attention, causing poor attitudes, low self esteem, dropping grades, loss of virginity, use of drugs and or weapons, or in some cases mutilation of the body. There are various effects that children have to deal with that maybe extremely hard to cope with. One parent may say one thing yet the other disagrees and makes it impossible for the child to have a stable relationship with both of them. Children need both biological parents at their side to be guardians and counselors in their lives, to be examples of what they need to do to become outstanding citizens in our community.
Girgis, George, & Anderson (2011) define marriage as the union of a man and a woman who make a permanent and exclusive commitment to each other of the type that is naturally (inherently) fulfilled by bearing and rearing children together. These marriages are intended to last eternity and are partially accomplished by raising children together, yet four of every ten marriages lead to divorce and of these divorces, 35% involve children (Ambert, 2009). Children tend to blame themselves for the divorce and are usually caught in the crossfire. These divorces lead to both stress and depression for children and without a strong sense of family, children will have a huge disadvantage over children with a stable healthy family (Arreola, Hartounian, Kurges, Maultasch, & Retana, 2013). Without the ability to cope with the stress of a divorce, children can be effected in multiple ways including a change in mentality, unacceptable behavioural traits and both short and long term emotional factors that will ultimately lead to a critical issue in child development.
Divorce is a very common word in today's society. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, "divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage or a complete or radical severance of closely connected things"(Pickett, 2000). This dissolution of marriage has increased very rapidly in the past fifty years. In 1950 the ratio of divorce to marriage was one in every four; in 1977 that statistic became one in two. Currently one in every two first marriages results in divorce. In second marriages that figure is considerably higher, with a 67% average (National Vital Statistics Report, 2001). One critical aspect of divorce is often not taken into consideration: How it affects children. Every year 1.1 million children are affected by divorce (Benjamin, 2000). Children from divorce or separation often exhibit behavioral and long-term adjustment problems (Kelly, 2000). Throughout this paper I will discuss divorces effects on children at different age levels, how they react, and what can be done to help them.
For women, and their children, divorce can often put severe economic hardships on them. Another part of family breakdown can occur when the absence of a male presence or male support to single mother families. “In the years following divorce living standards for ex-wives drop by an average of 30 percent while those for men rise an 8 percent” (Hewitt 41). Although babies from teenage girls have declined, the unmarried single parent teenagers who have children has risen rapidly. “There are now close to half a million live births to unwed teenagers every year” (Hewitt 41).
... social issue is being addressed, we are finding more ways of how to deal with the problems that single-parent families face. The parents might go through a lot providing for their children, but we cannot forget the efforts of the children that are making it without two parents and becoming strong, independent, self-sufficient individuals.
Married couples should be open to trying everything they possibly can to stay together not only for themselves but for the child’s sake because a union of a couple demonstrates a form of “commitment, stability and unity,” author Natalie Abendschein concludes in her article, “The Divorce and What it Has on Children.” These main possessions help a child to grow in the way they should be when reaching adulthood. It is very important for all parents to ac...
In the world we live in today, divorce has unfortunately become a normal thing in our lives. Many married couples are getting divorced for many reasons; problems in the marriage, either a spouse having an affair, a loss of feelings, and many other types of complications. Many divorces involve children who are young and due to their age do not understand what is really going on. We all know someone who has dealt with divorce. Children are the ones who are typically affected the most by the divorce and they will have to learn to cope with their parent’s divorce at such a young age, affecting them in positive or negative ways.
The Negative Effect of Divorce on Children Divorce has a negative effect on the psychological and social aspects of our children, which may appear instantly or not come to the surface for years. This is why I think that divorce should only be a last resort and not rushed into, even by couples with the most troubled marriages. The only acceptable reason for someone rushing into divorce is if they or their children are in danger. I believe that marriage is a commitment not to be taken lightly and disregarded at the first bump in the road, especially when there are children involved. Far too many people do not want to take responsibility for their actions and choices; for example, people use abortion as birth control and couples’ jumping in and out of marriages like it’s a trial and error institution.
Marriage Counseling or “Couple Therapy” is a term that is used to describe a type of counseling a couple attends in order to help them overcome issues in their relationships to avoid separation or divorce. Today, people view divorce as something that occurs commonly between married couples who have difficulty maintaining a relationship with their spouse. For the past thirty years, the phrase: “fifty percent of marriages end in divorce”, seems to have been ingrained into people’s mentality because it has become extremely common to come across individuals who have either been through one or more divorces. Divorce or separation not only affects the couples, but also their children. Having a strong family plays a major part in the lives of children and is crucial for their mental well-being. A report done by a team of senior academics for DailyMail UK found that “the damage caused to a child by divorce continues to blight his or her life as far as old age” and that “parental separation in childhood was consistently associated with psychological distress in adulthood during people’s early thirties”. Not only does the report show that children are affected by the effects of divorced but, the report also suggests that as divorce and separation continues to grow more common in society, the effects it has on the mental health of children does not reduce.
In today’s generation there are many forms of family composition that contributes to how a society defines a family. There is the traditional family where there are heterosexual parents and biological children. There is also the modern family where there is a broader combination, extended relationships, and out of wedlock children. In entirety of all forms of family composition, a family plays an important role with a function that will contribute to the society’s equilibrium. Looking further into a smaller scale pattern of society, having a family is a significant component of every individual’s life. Family ties may bring in positivity, strength, and happiness but it can also bring difficult challenges. A conflict within a family such as divorce presents a sociological impact that affects all family members most predominantly the children. Thus, it redefines the roles and responsibilities of each family member. Every individual can look at divorce in different angles due to the different beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge that each one holds. Two different people would say divorce has either positively or negatively redefined family composition. However, a neutral person would just accept the fact that it has changed and redefined family arrangements. Every angle is put into consideration when discussing the effects of divorce. The outcome of a divorce cannot be changed or altered at all times. Nevertheless, an understanding of divorce should be established to provide greater assistance and assurance to the affected children because it would greatly reduce the chances of the negative effects in the future.
It has been said, children from two-parent families are better off. The setting is also a factor to take into consideration. The increase in single- parent homes has had an extensive and negative effect on children’s development. 50% of marriages end in divorce. We have young people with young minds having children, they can hardly take care of themselves at the age of 21, yet they have decided to bring four children into this world to be raised by one parent. In some communities, majority of the children are being raised by a single parent. Statistics have shown that children raised in a healthy single parent home have more problems emotionally, psychologically, in school, and with the law than those raised in healthy two-parent homes. No matter how good a single parent is, that a single parent can NEVER do for the child how two present, committed, parent partners share and work together; communicate together and solve problems together as equals.
In modern society, divorce is common among many married couples. Everywhere you look, a new couple is separating and slowing destroying their family. Divorce is a legal dissolution that allows a couple to freely remarry in the future and occurs when a married couple can no longer handle being in each other’s company (divorce). Their problems result in constant arguments that cannot be resolved. The problems faced within a couple not only affects the two involved in the fight, but also their children’s lives in a negatively manner. Marriage is not viewed as highly in today’s society as years before due to the amount of marriages not lasting and ending in a divorce. Divorce is common today because of couple’s uneasiness to try and work things out by going to couples therapy together or listening to each other. Children are affected emotionally by their parent’s decision of divorce in their relationships with their friends, family and teachers.