Traditionally divorce was Taboo in the world’s society. As divorce is becoming became normalized it occurs occurred more often than ever before. Divorce rates are higher than ever. Divorce affects nearly half of all American families. Separation of spouses generally affects all members of a unified family, and it has become a normal part of many American’s lives. Not many parents people consider how hard divorce is on their children, especially since today’s laws, behaviors, and culture embraces divorce as a liberating experience. Though divorce can be liberating, parents should be absolutely sure on their decision to separate for the sake of their children’s health. Children are products of two individuals. Both parents’peoples’ genetics will …show more content…
Many parents in the process of divorce neglect to teach their children the values of physical health including nutrition and healthy living. According to research completed by Patrick Fagan and Aaron Churchill, “divorce weakens children’s health and longevity. It increases behavioral, emotional, and psychiatric risks, including even suicide” (Fagan and Churchill). Children of divorced parents are more likely to have a lack of nutritional values and higher anxiety levels. Bad nutritional values can follow children into adulthood. Their anxiety caused by their parent’s divorce can cause stress eating or anorexia both being very bad nutritional habits. Nutrition habits learned as a child are likely to follow them into the future unless their parents teach them otherwise. Their anxiety can also lead to something more dangerous such as drug use or suicidal thoughts. Children who have a disconnection to parents have a higher anxiety level, and these children more likely to use drugs as a way to cope with their unresolved issues contributed by the parents. Authors of “Lifestyle and Cancer: Effect of Parental Divorce” state that “offspring of divorced parents have increased cancer risks at tobacco-related, alcohol-related and sex-related sites” (Hemminki and Chen). The Wisconsin Department of Health found that children of divorced parents are at a higher risk of participating in illegal …show more content…
This can emotionally harm these children long term. Research found by the Marri Research team concludes that “divorced homes show a decrease in language stimulation, pride, affection, stimulation of academic behavior, encouragement of social maturity, and warmth directed towards these children” (Fagan and Churchill). Children who have a lack in all of these types of supports are hurt emotionally. They have feelings of unworthiness and guilt. No child should feel as if they are not worth attention. In a perfect world, a child will be loved and encouraged to prosper and flourish by both parents even if they are divorced. Divorce for many children takes away their outlets of emotional support. Children from divorced families have more emotional issues and experience many more emotional reactions such as anxiety, sadness, depression, anger, worry, fear, rejection, “conflicting loyalties, and a sense of fault for their parents’ problems” (Berg and Kurdek). If these emotions are not channeled by the parents and/or a professional they may lead to severe physical and emotional issues such as asthma, depression, bipolar disorder, and many more possible medical issues. Often as these children become adults they may be considered emotionally resilient or stronger but in reality over years these people have created barriers between themselves and anyone they build relationships with.
In the 21st century, divorce has become commonplace not only in the United States, but in many parts of the world. Franklin and Boddie (2004) reported that within 10 years about 40-50% of American marriages end in divorce. In 2009, the divorce rate in the United States stood at 3.6 per 1,000 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Divorce, however, is not only a social issue, but it has serious health implications. Divorce has been researched extensively and is considered an adverse event (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Adverse events such as personal or parental divorce has been linked to many ailments and conditions including substance abuse, depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and premature mortality (Sbarra, Law, & Portley, 2011; CDC, 2009).
When divorced, the children go through many emotional changes. "Children of divorce are more depressed and aggressive toward parents and teachers than are youngsters from intact families. They are much more likely to develop mental and emotional disorders later on in life" (Leo 2000). Children and teenagers have a hard tim...
Divorce is and has become a major issue in our society, the reason for that has been attributed to the drastic increase in divorce rates over the years. Divorce often disrupts the flow of the family structure, increases discord, and affects how family issues are handled. Families dealing with divorce are often times in a state of complete confusion and disorder, and filled with frustration, anger, and pain. Power struggles between spouses, which often times spread to the children if there any increase as the addiction worsens. There is a growing concernment among those in different fields like Social Work, Academia, and Mental Health in the United States, other countries, who have taken an interest in how divorce is readjusting
Children of divorced parents may have a lower sense of psychological well-being than children who grew up with intact families the range of feelings that a child may encounter include: disbelief and denial, sadness, loss, loneliness, depression, anger, anxiety, fear, relief, and hope. Some children may experience long-lasting emotional effects into their adulthood that damage their ability to preserve relationships. The result of parental divorce shapes children emotionally and may impact self-esteem, future relationships, dating and marriage (Armando Loomis and Booth 895+)..
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.
Most people, when thinking about divorce, worry about the impact that it has on the children that are involved. Even though children are most likely better off if totally incompatible parents separate instead of staying together, divorce is about loss and change, and it is still hard for children. Everyone knows that divorce has its effects on children. There are three different sources that try to explain these effects. Graham Blaine Jr. states that divorce is a threat to all children, whereas Rhona Mahony states that divorce is not always the cause of behavioral or academic problems in children coming from divorced families. Yvette Walczak and Sheila Burns state that the extent of the damage can be determined by the parents and their methods of explanation to the children.
Most people think about “marriage”, whether it originates from a little child watching one of their Disney princess movies or a parent trying to help their kids find a potential spouse. Unfortunately, some marriages do not work out for the best. When two spouses don’t agree and eventually grow apart from each other, it will then lead to “divorce”. Divorce is when two spouses officially end their legal marriage, then both spouses usually separate from each other. Divorces can be painful, emotional and even liberating in times for the spouse. In today’s society, being divorced or even knowing someone being divorce is normal. In the United States alone, almost 40 to 50 percent of marriages end up divorced. It also estimated that 60 percent of second marriages end up getting divorced. When two spouses finally get
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.
When a couple with a child chooses to get a divorce this can have major impact on a child at any age. There are many causes of stress throughout the divorce process that can negatively affect children. First, negative reactions and behaviors are dependent upon the situation before the divorce. Some studies show that how much parents fight, how it is done, how it is resolved, and what precautions are taken to protect the children from it's effects are the most important predictors of child adjustment (Kelly, 2000). Meaning that if children are exposed to fights about custody, money, or the failing marriage they could feel the repercussions of their parents conflict. Next, divorce can cause children to have heightened fear...
The argument over how divorce affects children is one that has been going on for a very long time. Some people believe when parents get a divorce the children are not affected at all, while others believe when parents get a divorce the children are affected by the impact of divorce more than anyone in the family. In some cases, married couples can be in such a terrible marriage that divorce can in no way be avoided, and these divorces are usually the ones that children benefit from and are affected in a positive way. Many times though, a couple will choose to get a divorce because their marriage is not exactly the way it used to be, and they want that aspect of life back; these are the divorces that negatively affect children. Even though in some cases divorce does not affect children negatively, many times when parents obtain a divorce, the children are negatively harmed in many different ways that will forever change their lives.
Children can suffer from, fear, grief, anger, depression, shame, sadness, anxiety, embarrassment, self-blame, abandonment, and many other things. (Borden, 2015). There is no guarantee that if a child goes through a divorce that they will experience any or all of these things and there is no guarantee that they would not experience these things if a divorce did not happen as well. A divorce definitely would not help the child in this area and it would be in the best interest of the parents for a divorce to not happen if children were
Another cause that affects a child with divorced parents is that the child may have a more stressful life. The child may have to change schools with any move that may result from the divorce. Also, if the child is not old enough to take care of himself or herself and the now single parent works, the child would probably have to start attending a child care program. A child could have to alternate between parents in different houses which is also very hard on a child. The adjustments to different settings and what days he or she is at which house can be confusing and stressful.
Children of divorced parents are also more likely to experience conflict in their own marriages, and are more likely to experience divorce themselves. They are also more likely to be involved in short-term (related to living together) relationships, which often dissolve before marriage.
Over 60 percent of couples seeking a divorce have children still living at home. ( 6) What some parents don’t realize when they file for a divorce is the great impact that it will have on their kids. Divorce affects children in many ways. It affects kids emotionally and causes them to experience feelings such as fear, loss, anger and confusion. Divorce also hurts a child’s academic achievement. Children whose parents divorce generally have poorer scores on tests and a higher dropout rate. (3)