Custodial Parents Essay
explanatory Essay
1686 words
The effects of divorce can be short or long term. Divorce is a stressful process for children at all ages and developmental stages. Although this process is not ideal for any child to experience individuals are able to live healthy lives. This paper will discuss the progression of relationships with the custodial and non-custodial parent, it will also discuss the possible psychological implications that children will face, the economic and educational effects, and the social and spiritual aspects. The most important aspect after a divorce is maintain as much normalcy for the children involved as possible. It is critical for children to continue to have healthy relationships with the custodial and non-custodial parent. Responsibility lies with …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Explains that divorce can have a profound effect on social and spiritual development of children. divorce can affect how older children form and maintain intimate relationships.
- Explains that divorce affects many aspects of children's lives even as they progress into adulthood.
- Explains that young children are easily confused and don't understand the divorce process. the custodial parent is responsible for maintaining the visitation and financial agreement established by the judge.
- Explains that divorce is a stressful process for children at all ages and developmental stages. it is important to maintain as much normalcy for the children involved as possible.
- Explains that children who experience parental divorce report lower psychological well-being than children from intact families even in adulthood. divorce has effects on economics and educational attainment.
Younger children also are easily confused and don’t have an understanding of the divorce process. Studies have found either no impact of the timing of divorce (Burt, Barnes, McGue, & Iacono, 2008) suggest that children who were older rather than younger at the time of divorce were more susceptible to mental health problems (Strohschein, 2005). Older children have already formed their attachment to both parents so therefore there is no confusion. The custodial parent is defined as the parent who is given physical or legal custody of a child by court order. (U.S. Legal.com) Children live the majority of the time with a custodial parent. The custodial parent usually makes major decisions for the child’s welfare in different areas. The custodial parent needs to keep an open and honest relationship with the children so that the level of trust continues. Custodial parents also carry the responsibility of speaking to and about the non-custodial parent in a manner that is respectful, civil, non-threatening, non-abusive, and that is not argumentative. The non-custodial parent is defined as the parent who does not have physical or legal custody of a child by court order. This parent usually has visitation rights. The non-custodial parent carries some of the same responsibilities as the custodial parent. The non-custodial parent is also required to …show more content…
The effects of divorce can be both short and long term. Studies show that divorce can have positive and negative effects. The positive effects being that if a child is in a tumultuous, abusive, and violent household the process of divorce is a positive effect. The divorce process can be short and sometimes lengthy. Children are faced with challenges that they think will never end. Their mental, social, educational, and religious parts of life are pushed to unimaginable limits. With the right support system, strategies, and securities partnered with the comforts at home, children can lead healthy normal lives just as children from intact
Related
- explanatory
- analytical
- opinion
- comparative
- argumentative
- Effects of Divorce on a Childexplanatory essayDivorce 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that divorce is a common word in today's society. it is the legal dissolution of marriage or severance of closely connected things.
- Explains that divorce can have a major impact on children at any age. stress is dependent on the situation before the divorce.
- Explains that divorce affects young children differently than older children. karen debord, a child development specialist, states there are different stages in childhood.
- Explains that adolescents are affected by divorce in a different way. they may feel angry and disillusioned, abandoned by the absent parent, show extreme emotions, and/or feel that they have to grow up sooner.
- Explains the american heritage dictionary of the english language and the impact of divorce on children.
- Cites debord, k., kelly, j.b. and shepard. court-affiliated educational programs for kids of divorce, separation.
1448 wordsRead More - The Impact of Parental Divorce on a Childanalytical essayFor most, divorce is extremely painful. Unfortunately, children are not excluded from related suffering. It is safe to assume that with such a high occurrence of divorce in our society that more and more children are being affected. For example, increasing numbers of children are growing up in single-parent families. There is no doubt that divorce involves quite a disequilibrium in children's lives. Doctor Judith Gold takes the issue further claiming that divorce is one of the most severe psychological stressors for children (Gold, 1992).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the impact of parental divorce on a child divorce has increased dramatically since the beginning of this century.
- Argues that divorce is one of the most severe psychological stressors for children.
- Opines that family structure is only one of the many factors that influence children's adjustment.
- Explains halonen & santrock's claim that the best approach for evaluating effects on children is one which advocates assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the child prior to the divorce.
- Explains that they chose to focus this paper on the impact of parental divorce on a child. they interviewed 20-year-old ann to better understand the adjustment process.
- Explains that ann's father was the dominant parental figure with her mother being submissive to him. every rule was to be followed precisely, without exceptions.
- Analyzes how ann's father became abusive towards his wife and stricter on his children. the children were united for they now had the additional duty of trying to protect their mother.
- Narrates how ann's mother filed for divorce when she was nine years old in an attempt to provide a more preferable environment for her impressionable children.
- Narrates how they spent several months residing with different relatives until the family could find another permanent home. they remember feeling sad and isolated, which ruled out the possibility of establishing close relationships.
- Analyzes ann's feelings of inferiority and depression throughout the interview. she admits being needy and feeling deprived of a "normal" family life.
- Opines that ann has identified with her low self-esteem but feels there is not much she can do to improve it. dr. gold claims that girls internalize problems of divorce which seems exactly the case for ann.
- Analyzes how ann experienced difficulties in social relationships in the first few years following the divorce discussed by dr. gold. she accepted that she didn't develop normal communication skills because of her extraordinary situation.
- Analyzes how ann's divorce was a major change in parenting techniques. she switched from strict rule under her father to permissive-indulgent parenting style.
- Narrates how they were surprised when they asked ann to distinguish between her life at home prior to and post separation.
- Analyzes how she feels she may have attended college under the controlling rule, something which she has no intention of doing.
- Analyzes how ann's interviewee attended a catholic school from kindergarten to junior high. she had close relationships with her teachers and believes they were positive role models for her.
- Describes how ann's life was disrupted when she left her small school to attend a public high school with over 3000 students. she experienced depression and loneliness associated with the top dog phenomenon.
- Analyzes how ann's loneliness led to a tremendous decrease in her self-esteem, which has taken her much effort to improve, even if only slightly.
- Opines that dr. gold makes some important points, which are relevant to ann's case. she states that there are long-term and lasting effects in the nonclinic population of divorced children.
- Opines that ann has not seen or heard from her father since a few months after the divorce, eleven years ago. she blames him entirely.
- Analyzes how ann's cynicism towards love and trust is not in her vocabulary. she believes that once someone takes advantage of your trust they will continue to do so repeatedly.
- Analyzes how carl rogers states that the greater the discrepancy between the real and ideal self the more.
- Agrees with the statement that ann believes everything she portrays is negative. she repeatedly compares herself to her friends, herself being the inadequate one.
- Analyzes how ann dislikes her physical appearance. she can't accept flattery because she has little self worth and low self esteem.
- Opines that ann's problems are not due to her parents' divorce, but her case does relate to researched effects of divorce on children.
- Opines that a major hurdle for ann was the complete loss of her relationship with her father. dr. gold states that contact between the noncustodial parent and the child is critical to the future.
- Opines that ann's goals are to feel better about herself and improve her outlook on her world.
1627 wordsRead More - Effects of Divorce: Larger Than They Seemexplanatory essayImagine a teenage boy, completely happy with a good life and a family that he is close to. He has his own place in the family and a set daily routine that has been in place for over a decade. Now imagine something ripping that family apart. His daily life became anything but routine. Everything changed: his living arrangements, his family’s financial situation, and his security. In America, we call that divorce. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, “One out of every two marriages today ends in divorce and many divorcing families include children.” “Only 42 percent of children aged 14 to 18 live in a “first marriage” family and intact two-parent married family” (The Effects of Divorce on America). Throughout this report the effects of divorce of children of various ages will be discussed. There will also be explanations of how everyone in the family feels their own form of blame, stress, anger, adjustment, and the psychological and emotional aspects of divorce. What are the effects of divorce on children?
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the american academy of child & adolescent psychiatry states that one out of every two marriages today ends in divorce.
- Explains that sociologists and psychologists are just beginning to provide reliable information about the effects of divorce on children.
- Explains that children at this age can become combative or angry and show signs of depression despite their young age. divorce has positive and negative effects on children.
- Explains the emotional effects of divorce on children, including fear of what will happen next, if they will have enough money, or fear that mom and dad stopped loving them.
- Opines that children of divorced parents learn how to be in a relationship by their relationships with their parents.
- Explains that many children speak out when they are comfortable enough to reveal their feelings to the parent regarding divorce. studies show that girls and boys suffer equally.
- Explains that girls are more able to engage in multi-task behavior, use both sides of the brain when processing information, hear better, and are physically active. boys are externally symptomatic, while girls internalize their feelings which may lead to depression, headaches and stomach aches.
- Explains that a child's understanding of divorce depends on their developmental age. infants may feel more irritable and cry or fuss, while toddlers might return to baby-like behaviors. preteens and teens may have difficulty accepting the reality of the changes it brings to their family.
- Explains that 50 percent of all children are children of divorce. divorce court may set up visitation rights to determine the amount of contact with each parent.
- Explains that divorce has a negative effect on all individuals involved, even the one initiating the divorce. the way the parties involved handle the situation affects the children not only at the time of divorce but for years to come.
- Explains that stress can affect anyone who feels overwhelmed including children. it is created when we react to particular events.
- Explains lewis, jennifer, and william sammons' "looking at divorce-through the eyes of a child."
2508 wordsRead More - How Divorce Affects Childrenexplanatory essayAssessing consequences of divorce on children are both subjective and problematic because many factors and personal experiences are taken into account. Overall, the psychological context of this event is traumatizing for the child, usually to a greater degree than between the parents that are separating. However, the negative effects of divorce on children are not inevitable. “They either undergo the major emotional disturbances to a point where it disrupts their development, or they learn to manage the stresses in order to cope with the situation and emotions that accompany” (Judy Mann), mainly through parental intention and intervention.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the adjustment process after separation depends on the relationship between parents prior to divorce, the ages of the children, whether or not siblings are present, and how often they will see each parent.
- Explains that the long-term scope of divorce for children depends largely on how the parents deal with the process, especially after they are distinctly living two separate lives.
- Explains that as a child of divorce, they were able to relate on these realms of severe emotional upset. they had no one to revel with in the anxiety, loneliness, and need to belong.
- Opines that their divorce doesn't define them because they believe we're too complex to be comprised of a single event. their long-term moral views have changed slightly, but they gained more confidence to take on the world.
- Explains that children are severely affected by the aftermath of divorces in the united states, especially on the long-term basis.
757 wordsRead More - Effect of Divorce on Children: What About The Kids? by Judith S. Wallerstein and Sandra Blakesleeanalytical essayWhile divorce gives parents a novel opportunity to begin a new life, it leads to an unfortunate twist in lifestyle for the children. In “What About The Kids? Raising Your Children Before, During, and After Divorce” Judith S. Wallerstein, Ph.D., a psychologist who spent 25 years of her life studying the effects of divorce on children, and Sandra Blakeslee, a scientist writer who has spent nearly all of her profession writing for New York Times, wrote, “Each decision to divorce begins a long journey that holds surprising, unexpected turns.”. Divorce leads to many unforeseen negative consequences for the children involved. Some frequent symptoms such as, anxiety, depression, guilt and grief emerge in the children’s behavior.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how divorce leads to an unfortunate twist in lifestyle for children. judith wallerstein, ph.d., and sandra blakeslee, a scientist writer, have written about the negative consequences of divorce.
- Explains that separation anxiety is a broad name for numerous disorders that involve nervous fear, and worrying. children have nightmares about their parent's separation, fearing to be left unaccompanied at some point.
- Explains that children become alienated towards a parent when he/she is constantly fighting against the other parent after separation. depression causes children to stop socializing with friends and spend time with family.
- Explains wallerstein, ph.d., a psychologist who spent 25 years studying the effects of divorce on children.
- Explains that some children feel devastated having to live with a single parent after divorce, resulting in grieving process regardless of their parent's existence.
- Explains that divorce is a difficult challenge for parents, but it is even more difficult for children who are full of innocence and sincerity. the effects children experience, such as anxiety, depression, guilt and grief, are some ways in which they express their feelings towards separation.
- Cites works by judith wellerstein, sandra blakeslee, philip stahl, barry youngerman, mark j. kittleson, and gary neuman.
924 wordsRead More - Divorce and Its Effect On Childrenanalytical essayDivorce 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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that divorce is a heavy concept that has many implications for those involved. the situation becomes even more consequential when children are considered.
- Opines that divorce increases the risk for psychosocial developmental problems in children and potentially as adults, but also stress and conflict within an intact family environment.
- Explains that a qualitative study looked at 131 children from divorced families of the 1970's. the study found that parental conflicts were not dominant in the children’s memories but unhappiness was related to the separation itself.
- Analyzes how booth and amato's study suggests that highly conflicted marriages do not provide benefits to children.
- Cites booth, a., & amato, p. r. (2001). parents' discord and divorce, parent-child relationships and subjective well-being in early adulthood.
1490 wordsRead More - The Effects of Divorce in American Cultureanalytical essayChildren involved in a divorce are deeply affected and the lasting effects will virtually extend out to every aspect of the child's life. The statistics being provided show the many ways that this is true. Children of divorce are more likely to show signs of struggle with academic achievement have more emotional problems, are involved more frequently in drug abuse and crime, and many others. Conduct problems are common in children coming from broken homes. A study suggested that this could be due to the fact that divorce has a negative effect on the parenting a child receives (Shansky, 2002). A father becomes less involved for example. Also, a mother must adjust along with the children and often experiences depressive tendencies as a result. These...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the rising rate of divorce in the american culture is hurting the society and often devastating the lives of many american children.
- Explains that children involved in divorce are deeply affected and the lasting effects extend out to every aspect of the child's life.
- Explains that religious worship tends to be less prevalent in the homes of those that have been divorced. this can have serious implications.
- Explains that economic factors are a problem with divorced families, which in turn affects the ability of the children to succeed financially.
- Explains that there are countless studies and results of said studies to prove the effects of divorce on america's children, but not as many studies related to the longer lasting effects as they become adults.
- Explains that the negative effects of divorce on children spill over into almost every aspect of their adult life.
- Explains that the societal effects of divorce are proving to be more profound than previously realized. the legislation regarding divorce was largely based on data and information that had not fully been realized in its infantile beginnings.
- Explains how the divorce rate of an area can affect the crime rate in that area. robert sampson, professor of sociology at the university of chicago, found that divorce rates can predict the rise or fall of the robbery rate.
- Explains that higher divorce rates are directly related to higher levels of child abuse. the divorced parent remarrying does not reduce this level of abuse and may actually increase it.
- Analyzes the effect of government assistance on the economy of the united states, stating that the average household income drops by almost half following a divorce.
- Opines that something must be done to reverse these destructive trends in the united states. the media tells people that divorce is acceptable, many religions view it as often necessary, and the court system approaches it.
- Argues that the media should treat divorce in a similar fashion to the way that media and the government began to treat the use of tobacco products.
- Explains that the american government spends $150 billion per year to help subsidize single parent families while only spending $150 million annually on programs dedicated to preventing the disintegration of the family.
- Opines that divorce is one of the worst social diseases to attack the american culture and its people and must be seen as such for any effective change to occur.
- Cites delson, j, rector, r, fagan, p.f., and himes, k.
1715 wordsRead More - Divorce In The United Statesopinion essayThe breakdown of a family can have many repercussions on the individual members with the least involvement. The children involved in a divorce are often times the most impacted victims of a divorce. Children with divorced parents are often left feeling neglected by the parent that has chosen to move out, unloved, and often times burdened with feelings of guilt. The poverty rates of single parented households are alarmingly high, and are often the result of divorce. With all these factors added together, divorce is a dangerous and scarring event in a child’s psyche.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that divorce laws should not be enforced in the united states, since marriages can be dissolved easily and for little or no reason.
- Explains that the no-fault attitude towards divorce encourages casual actions in marriages. studies show that divorce rates have increased 15-25 percent as a result of no fault divorce laws.
- Explains that the breakdown of a family can have many repercussions on the individual members with the least involvement. children with divorced parents are often left feeling neglected by the parent that has chosen to move out.
- Explains that the no-fault laws have made it easier to dissolve a marriage for any reason or for no reason. many believe that courts should treat marriages as any other contract.
- Concludes that lax no-fault laws regarding divorce in our country are contributing to moral decay and should not be enforced.
464 wordsRead More - Detrimental Divorce On Childrencomparative essayChildren 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+)..
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the literature review will focus on families in divorce transition and the impact it may have.
- Explains that divorce affects each member of a family at different times and in different ways.
- Concludes that the study is limited to the impact of divorce on a school-age child.
- Recommends letting children talk about what they are feeling and sharing as many thoughts or questions as possible with their parents or school counselors.
1106 wordsRead More - Sociology Of Divorceargumentative essayDivorce is a serious matter, whether it is proven to have affects on individuals or not, it is not something that people wish to endure. Bruce F. Dykeman, Marita p. McCabe and Stacey Richardson, and Linda Nielsen have all done great research on the outcomes of a divorce on children. Conflict theorist as well have done great job on providing factors that go into a divorce. While there are some positive outcomes from children of divorce, the majority of the research provided by the researchers above conclude that there are more negative impacts than positive.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that there are several reasons as to why adults choose to divorce their spouse. there are also many negative effects that divorce has on the family and their children.
- Explains that conflict theorists believe that marriage is a struggle for control of the relationship.
- Explains that nearly a third of american children experience their parents' divorce before reaching 18, and the effects of divorce can have immediate and long-lasting consequences.
- Explains that children who have experienced marital dissolution struggle more academically and socially in school than children not through the same experience. the emotional aspects of divorce include feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt, and aggression.
- Explains that marita mccabe and stacey richardson have focused on the effects of divorce during adolescence and early adulthood, ages 18-25.
- Analyzes how mccabe and richardson found that individuals from divorced families had lower self-concept, lower life satisfaction and well-being, and parent-child relationships were negatively impacted.
- Compares nielsen's study of divorced college students with dykeman, mccabe, and richardson. nielsen found that the sex of the individual affected plays a role in relationships after the divorce.
- Explains nielsen's work to separate fact from fiction in regards to impact of divorce on college students. nielsen stated that teenagers and young adults who had ongoing social, psychological, or academic problems were almost always troubled in their ways while their parents were married.
- Explains that millions of children are going through or dealing with a divorce. some are suffering emotionally, psychologically, and academically.
- Explains sociological imagination's explanation of the risk and factors that can contribute to a divorce.
- Explains that marriage is sacred and a time for joy and happiness. while some christians view divorce as wrong, god hates it.
- Opines that divorce is not something that people wish to endure. bruce f. dykeman, marita p. mccabe and stacey richardson, and linda nielsen have done great research on the outcomes of a divorce on children.
1244 wordsRead More