The Effects of Divorce on Children

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Statistics show that couples with children are 26% less likely to get a divorce than couples without children. About 40% of couples with children get a divorce while 66% of couples without children get a divorce (Divorce Statistics). Every year an average of 1 million divorces occur in the United States, and women initiate the divorce 65% of the time. The leading causes of divorce are lack of communication and indisputable differences. Often times children that have parents who go through divorce are mentally and emotionally unstable. Children that have parents who are divorced or who are in the process of going through a divorce respond and react differently.
There are four major effects that divorce has on a child: stress, risk, resilience, and painful memories with ongoing worries (Emery). Most children do not want to see their parents' marriage end in a divorce unless there is major conflict or they are arguing constantly. Children often blame themselves for their parents' divorce. Hetherington, a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, found up to 25 percent of children with divorced parents "have critical long term social, emotional or psychological problems," compared to 10 percent of children from intact families (James). Children benefit from having their parents together.
Stress is one of the biggest effects that divorce has on children. Children are often torn between parents. Some families have a routine of one week with one parent and one week with the other, which is referred to as joint custody. In some cases the child will choose or the court will determine that the child is to live with one parent. Children find the most stress from this situation because they aim to please both parents, but the chi...

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"Infographic: The inside scoop on divorce in the U.S.." Insurance Quotes. N.p., 11 Sept. 2013. Web. 5 Nov. 2013. http://www.insurancequotes.com/insurance-tips/divorce-statistics.
James, Michael S. "How Much Does Divorce Affect Kids?." abc News. N.p., 8 July 2002. Web. 9 Nov. 2013. http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=89992.
Meyers, Seth. "Divorces Parents: Kids Should Decide Where They Live/Custody." Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, LLC, 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2013. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/insight-is-2020/201211/divorced-parents-kids- should-decide-where-they-livecustody.
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