Children Hurting from Parental Seperation and Divorce

2735 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: An essay on the effects of divorce

Marriage has always been, and remains, one of Canada's most important social structures. Yet more and more marriages are ending in divorce. Canada's divorce rate is currently about fifty percent. Half of all children will witness the break up of their parents' marriage. Of these children, another half will witness the break up of a parents' second marriage, as well. (Furstenberg, Nord).

As a family, divorce is a difficult matter to deal with, but divorce always takes the largest toll on the children involved. ?Many studies have shown that the children of divorce are anywhere from two to three times more likely to end up with serious, long-term damage. Problems like addiction, delinquency, school failure and mental illness are common among children of divorce.? (Good Divorce?). It is inarguable, divorce and separation cause negative effects on the children that are involved. The negative effects can be categorized into three groups: psychological effects, emotional effects and physical effects. The difference between psychological and emotional effects is that psychological refers to the way that the individual thinks about themselves and their past, current or future situations because of the divorce, and emotional refers to the way that the individual feels about others and social situations because of the divorce. Physical effects are the ways that the individual?s body reacts after the individual chooses to do something that was triggered by the divorce.

Divorce can cause many changes in an individual. People very often become very depressed, and depression changes the way the mind works. ?Depression can strike anyone at any time. Those who have recently experienced a traumatic event, such as a divorce, may be at higher...

... middle of paper ...

...ester, T., ?Parental Divorce and Interpersonal Trust in Adult Offspring,? Journal of Marriage and Family. Vol. 54 (3). Pages 642 - 656. 2002.

Linaman, Todd E., ?The Effects of Divorce on Children and Families?, Family Life Facts.

Manlove, Moore, Liechty, Ikramullah and Cottingham. ? Sex Between Young Teens and Older Individuals: A Demographic Portrait.? Child Trends Research Brief, Publication #2005 - 07. September 2005.

Marquardt, Elizabeth. ?A ?Good Divorce?? No?. Chicago Tribune. November 6 2005.

www.divorcereform.org

Moody, Lloyd. ?Child of Divorce.? Personal Interview. November 17 2006.

Pettigrew, Brian. Class Presentation, South Carleton High School. November 20 2006.

Wallerstein, Judith. ?The Long Term Effect of Divorce on Children: A Review? Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Pages 352 - 358. May 1991.

Show More
Related

  • American Society on the CHange during the Post- World War Years

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    First of all, America has the highest divorce rate among western nations. Divorce rate increased after every major war, and decreased during the Post-World War II economic boom. The divorce rate has more than doubled since 1940, when there were two divorces for every 1,000 persons. Now for the same number of people, there are over five divorces. Studies indicate that there is more divorce among persons with low incomes and limited education and those who marry at a very young age. Teenage marriages are much more likely to end in divorce than are all other marriages. And women who marry when they are over age 30 are the least likely to become divorced. There has been a decline in divorce in the number of couples who have children under 18. Almost 45 p...

    Read More

  • Income Gap in Canada

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Canadian family structure has changed greatly in recent years. While divorce rates have jumped, and marriage rates have plummeted, the resulting change has been single parent families (Myles, 2010). As a result of this, single parent families do not have the benefit of dual...

    Read More

  • Overview of Divorce in Canada

    1355 Words  | 3 Pages

    The correlation of divorce and unemployment rates or the relationship between marital satisfaction and employment status have relevance to anyone interested or affected by a marriage. This includes married couples, children, relatives, family friends, psychologists, councillors, lawyers, judges, employers, realtors, tax payers, etc. In other words, practically everyone in Canadian society is affected by divorce; and though divorce has also been seen more commonly throughout the twentieth and twenty-first century than any other point in history, are Canadian divorce rates really on the rise? According to the statistics, the divorce rate of Canadian marriages has been more or less decreasing for the past twenty years. In fact, the number of divorces in Canada for every 100,000 people has decreased from a high of 362.3 in 1987 to 220.7 in 2005 (Wyman 1). Yet when we exclude the large and sudden jump of the

    Read More

  • Erickson Stage Theory and the Impact of Divorce on Children

    842 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...d by their parent's divorce but also have negative side effects later on in adulthood (issue 8 pg 146). Developmental psychologist Hetherington agrees that divorce can be harmful to a child's development but that they ultimately overcome it. Eventually they will overcome it, but this is most likely to happen past stage 6, in middle adult hood after one has decided whether or not they want to spend their life with someone. Erickson's theory of personality development can help one realize the stages which are mostly affected by a parent's divorce. The stages affected are stages 3, initiative versus guilt, stage 4 industry versus inferiority, stage 5, identity versus confusion, and finally intimacy versus isolation. The symptoms of having a broken home might not always be very noticeable until a person is peeled little by little and ready to fix their heavy past.

    Read More

  • Does Divorce Affect Children Negatively?

    1374 Words  | 3 Pages

    Research has proven there is a link between childhood depression and parents who are divorced. When children’s parents decide to get a divorce, it increases the risk of the children going through a deep depression period. There are several different reasons that have been linked to why children become depressed after their parents get a divorce. Parents and children usually become very distant after a divorce because they are both trying to overcome a hard time in their lives, so they keep to themselves instead of talking to each other. When children realize the distant that has come between them and their parents, they become upset, and that is what leads to the depressed state. Children are also trying to understand and deal with the new way of life they are living with only one parent in the househo...

    Read More

  • The Modern Canadian Family

    1693 Words  | 4 Pages

    Same-sex couples are not the only couples changing. Heterosexual marriages are undergoing large transformations due to gender roles and expectations. In 1981, 90% of women by the age of 50 were involved in a marriage (Canadian Social Trends, 2007). What is more astonishing is, in 1981, 1 out of 1000 marriages ended in divorce and in 2006 the census recorded out of 1000 marriages 120 resulted in divorce (Canadian S...

    Read More

  • The Effects of Divorce on Children

    2257 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Divorce and Its Effect On Children

    1490 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wallerstein, J. S., & Lewis, J. M. (2004). The unexpected legacy of divorce: Report of a 25-year study. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 21(3), 353-370.

    Read More

  • Sociological Analysis of Divorce

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    Every year approximately 2.4 million marriages occur.Out of those,2.1 millionwill file for divorce in the United States. These marriage and divorce rates have significantly increased since the years past(Coltrane and Adams, 364).According to Schoen, in the 1950’s, 15 out of 1,000 marriages ended in divorce.In the 1970’s, the rates of divorcedoubled,increasing to 40 per 1,000 marriages. Currently, the rate of marriages resulting in divorce remains the same. Most marriages are ending within seven years ofthemarriage for multiple different reasons. Sociologists haveestablisheddivorce as a social problem from the rise in divorcerates due to the early year of marriages (2006).

    Read More

  • Divorce Rhtorical Analysis

    1125 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Effects of Divorce on a Child

    1448 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • The Effects of Divorce on Children

    367 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Divorce Law

    1355 Words  | 3 Pages

    Divorce is a growing epidemic in Canada and the United States. It affects both parties involved, being the spouses, and also has a profound affect on children of the marriage. Recently our government has been revising the old divorce act. It was apparent that it was time to revise the act because it did not properly protect the children from being caught in the middle of things.

    Read More

  • Divorce Impacts a Child Emotionally, Mentally and Academically

    1644 Words  | 4 Pages

    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)

    Read More

  • The Effect of Divorce on Children

    620 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Children Hurting from Parental Seperation and Divorce

Open Document