How Divorce Affects The Well-Being Of Children Essay

1320 Words3 Pages

How does Divorce affect the well-being of Children? Divorce is “the ending of a marriage by a legal process”, (Merriam-Webster.com, 2012). Divorce is sadly commonplace in our society today. Over time, much like erosion in nature, a sequence of events or constant conflict eats away at the fabric of marriage. “In many cases it is preceded by a lengthy period of conflict between spouses. It is reasonable to expect that when this predisposition conflict, and the corresponding emotional upset on the part of the parents, may cause problems for children” (Furstenberg & Cherlin, 1991, p. 63) Adults seeking divorce often overlook the impact on their children’s well-being. The affects prior to divorce and after are far reaching. Depending on how negatively …show more content…

Many areas affected are often affect but to varying degrees. More currently, studies have also concluded that functional stability can offset the negative effects of family changes. Structure and consistency is important to help minimize adjustment issues. Minimizing changes in a child’s routine, continuity of current extracurricular activities, schools, and friends can help to reduce the socio-economical affects caused by divorce. Parents also benefit by minimizing changes for themselves as well. A social circle consisting of friends and family provide the emotional support to help them to adjust also. Maintaining the “status quo” as much as possible seems to benefit the family as whole (Phillips, …show more content…

Marriage and Divorce Rates. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/96facts/mardiv.htm Dunn, J., Cheng, H., O'Connor, T. G., & Bridges, L. (2004). Children's perspectives on their relationships with their nonresident fathers: influences, outcomes and implications. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00245. Griggs, J., Tan, J., Buchanan, A., Attar-Schwartz, S., & Flouri, E. (2009). ‘‘They’ve always been there for me’’: Grandparental involvement and child well-being. Children & Society. doi:10.1111/j.1099-0860.2009.00215.x Lee, C. M., & Gotlib, I. H. (1989). Maternal depression and child adjustment: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. doi:10.1037//0021-843X.98.1.78 Mather, M. (2010). U.S. Children in single-mother families. Retrieved from http://prb.org Mechanic, D., & Hansell, S. (1989). Family conflict, and adolescents' well-being”. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 30(1), 105-106. Retrieved from Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2136916 "Divorce." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. . NYS DCSE | New York Child Support. (n.d.). Retrieved from

Open Document