Pros And Cons Of Divorce

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Pro Side Summary Divorce is something that many families across the United States encounter that can have many negative effects on everyone in the family, especially the children. The child may have grown up for years with the parents before they decided to separate, leaving the kids both confused and upset by what is happening. It can take a heavy toll on the children, while they may experience things following the divorce such as emotional pain, suffering, insecurity, depression, learning problems, and more (Amato, 2004). Author Paul Amato of the scholarly article, “The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children”, also states that, “More than one million children experience parental divorce every year, and about 40% of all children …show more content…

In this case of divorce, that is not a good thing. It’s been shown that the kids who experience divorce between their parents will have a higher likelihood of divorcing in the future (Hetherington, 2016). Divorce is something that can be avoided too, but many parents feel that the marriage is too far gone to save and they do not want to put the effort in. Some of the many things that can be done are going to counseling, reading books, talking to friends and family, and other methods. Two parents are essential for a child’s growth and development so they can grow up to be productive and healthy in society with experience from both the mom and dad. Amato adds, “The spread of single-parent families contributes to many social problems, including poverty, crime, substance abuse, declining academic standards, and the erosion of neighborhoods and communities.” Not only is this a dangerous environment in some cases for children, but it will affect their behaviors in the future as mentioned earlier; not just with divorce but with other issues like poverty and crime as well. Therefore, parents should stay together and work out their problems in order to sustain a healthy atmosphere and developmental life …show more content…

There may be some reasons proving beneficial for the parents to separate for the child’s sake, but the negative impacts greatly outweigh the good. According to Jayna Solinger, author of the article, “The Negative Effects of Divorce on Children”, divorce “in any circumstance, rips a child apart, tossing him/her from one house to another, limiting time spent with his/her parents, and confusing him/her.” Elaborating on this a little bit, when Solinger says that it rips the child apart, the child is being exposed to argumentation and conflict that is tearing them down. When caught in the middle of it, the child is on an emotional roller coaster, experiencing depression, confusion, anxiety, pain, and more (Amato, 2004). When the parents eventually separate, the child will in most cases be taken from house to house so they have time to spend with each parent. It can prove to be a good thing, but it is overwhelming and can force the child to choose sides when talking to each parent. When the decision is made in court that split custody is needed, the child or the court must choose which parent the kid is to live with. If the child decided to live with just one parent, ties with the other can be broken or damaged (Solinger, 1998). As these kids who experienced their parents go through the

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