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The Impact of Divorce on Children

National University

Professor:

Date: 8 September 2018

Abstract

This research project will investigate the physical, social, and emotional impacts divorce has on children, how children in different developmental stages are affected by divorce, and the roles parents play in diminishing the effects of divorce. This meta-analysis will 20 studies. Numerous factors such as age, gender, social, economic status, and family discord are involved when discussing the impact of divorce on children. Divorce creates behavior problems, self-esteem issues and relationship issues for children dealing with this major life change. One of the most influential components in the life of a child is family; the quality of the relationship that the teen maintains with the family unit will play a significant role, in the formulation of behaviors. More ever, the proposal discusses the relevant theories and research papers in this regard and presents possible limitations and outcomes.

KEYWORDS. Divorce, family, children, parents.

The Impact of Divorce on Children

Today, divorce is more common than lasting marriages. In the United States, 40 to 50% of marriages end in divorce (Marriage and Divorce, n.d.). Living in a broken home has become the norm for a substantial number of children. The number of children affected by divorce each year is staggering. Every year, more than a million children are involved in a divorce (Beal and Hochman, 1991). Sadly, the effects of divorce on children are not considered by the parents until it is too late. The following will discuss the physical, social and emotional impacts divorce has on children, how children in different developmental stages are affected by divorce, and the roles parents play in diminishing the effects of divorce. Typical in school-age and adolescent children is the desire or fantasy for parents to reunite, fear of abandonment by one or both parents, and/or feelings of responsibility for the divorce. The impact of divorce will also carry on in the adult life of the individual. Hence it is crucial to understand the impact that divorce has on children.

The primary objective is to conduct a meta-analysis of 20 studies to investigate the impact of divorce (Independent Variable) on children’s attitudes and behavior (Dependent Variable). This research will be qualitative and focus on the children’s experiences and feelings during times of parental separation. The purpose of the review was to explore children’s feelings and attitudes about their parents’ separation.

Research Questions

Based on the research it is clear that children are negatively impacted following divorce.

1. What is the effect of divorce on a children’s academic achievement and social relationships?

2. Is there any relationship between divorce and children’s short and long-term maladaptive behaviors?

3. Is there an age group that is more likely to be negatively impacted when their parents’ divorce?

1. Bayrakal, S., & Kope, T. M. (1990). Dysfunction in the single-parent and only-child family. In this pilot study, twelve adolescent inpatients who were an "only child" in single-parent families were compared to a control group of adolescent patients (of corresponding demographics). In some "minimal families" (single parent/only child), the interpersonal transactions were examined as the crucial parameter in the formation of dysfunction. Statistical analysis of the data supported the hypothesis that in this clinical sample, the single-parent/only child families and their adolescents would display more disturbance than the control group.

2. Schroeder, R., Osgood, A., & Oghia, M. (2010). Family Transitions and Juvenile Delinquency. This project used two waves of the National Youth Survey (NYS) as a continuing longitudinal study to assess the influence of family dissolution and formation on juvenile delinquency through the intermediate process of changes in parental attachment and ⁄ or family time.

3. Davidson, R., O'Hara, K. , & Beck, C. (2014). Psychological and biological processes in children associated with high conflict parental divorce. The paper reviews the connection between exposure to parental conflict, the biological stress response system, psychological disturbance, and sleep.

4. Aseltine Jr, R. (1996). Pathways linking parental divorce with adolescent depression. Using data from high school students this study was conducted to test the link between divorce and adolescent depression. The findings showed a correlation between divorce and adolescent depression.

5. Størksen, I., Røysamb, E., Holmen, T., & Tambs, K. (2006). Adolescent adjustment and well-being: effects of parental divorce and distress. Data was collected from 8,984 Norwegian adolescents (13–19 years) and their parents to show the long-term effects that divorce has on children and adolescents. They found that girls have more long-term effects from a divorce than boys do.

6. Vanassche, S., Sodermans, A. , Matthijs, K., & Swicegood, G. (2013). Commuting between two parental households: The association between joint physical custody and adolescent well-being following divorce. In this article a study was done on one thousand five hundred and seventy children with divorced parents, to study the overall wellbeing of the child after the divorce. The study showed that children in joint custody and other custody arrangements are actually very similar to one another.

7. Shansky, J. (2002). Negative effects of divorce on child and adolescent psychosocial adjustment. Comparing multiple data sources, the author examines the well-being of children and adolescents before and after a divorce. Their findings show that children that have been affected by divorce have more behavioral problems than do children living in single-parent homes.

8. Jurma, A. (2015). Impact of Divorce and Mother's Psychological Well-Being on Children's Emotional, Behavioral, and Social Competences. Describes the behavioral issues that children have after a divorce, along with the way the mother handles the behavior of her children. The study showed the consequences of divorce upon children, mothers’ wellbeing, and parenting styles, that divorced children had more behavior problem then did children with both parents.

9. Amato, P. (1993). Children’s Adjustments to Divorce: Theories, Hypotheses, and Empirical Support. National Council on Family Relations. Amato compares five perspectives that explanations for a child’s adjustment to the divorce of their parents. The perspectives include the absence of the noncustodial parent, the adjustment of the custodial parent, inter-parental conflict, economic hardship, and stressful life changes on behalf of the child. Amato proposed hypothesis and theory for each perspective and examined studies that could help support each of the hypothesis. Amato suggests the theory that the absence of one parent from the household is a problem for a child’s socialization.

10. Lansford, J. (2013). Parental divorce and children's adjustment. The article exams existing literature on children’s behavioral adjustments as it relates to divorce. The author has tried to show how divorce relates to the changes in children’s behavior in each aspect like academics, socializing, and internal problems. Secondly, he tries to examine the timing of divorce, demographic characteristics, and children’s adjustment rate prior to divorce and then stigmatization as moderator of the link between divorce and adjustment behavior. Thirdly, he has examined the income, conflicts, parenting, and well-being as the mediators of relationships in between divorce and adjustment. The author has shown how the effects of divorce can change the child’s behavior.

Parental divorce has a direct, negative impact on children; I expect that children from divorced homes will have higher rates of social and emotional discomfort than children from homes not divided by divorce.

Synthesis.

All articles share a common thread, in that, divorce permanently weakens the family and the relationship between children and parents (Amato, 1993). Research by Bayrakal & Kope (1990) supports the hypothesis that single-parent/only child families would exhibit more emotional disturbances. Amato (1993) further suggests the theory that the absence of one parent from the household is a problem for a child's socialization.

Additionally, Jurma (2015) concluded that divorced children had more behavioral problems than their counterparts and Aseltine (1996) linked parental divorce with adolescent depression as a source of secondary problems.

Method

The articles used for this research focused on the effects on children after a divorce. The main focus is how children are being affected physically, socially and emotionally. The articles were analyzed using a table where we were able to compare the methods used, samples, a variety of populations, limitations, and suggested recommendations for further research. The Internal Review Board (IRB) was not used due to no human participants needed. When human research is being conducted IRB is established to protect the rights and welfare of the research participants. Ethical standards were not needed due to no human participants that would involve the use of principles, values, and/or culture.

Case Selection/Participants

Twenty studies are included in the analysis; the date will range from 1990 to December of 2014. To be included in the meta-analysis studies must meet the following criteria. First, they must contain a sample of children living in a single-parent family (through a divorce) as well as a sample from families that have not been separated via divorce. Second, subjects must be 18 years and/or younger.

Results

Findings and Conclusions

Even though research concludes that children, whose parents divorce, have less academic success, the effects on these children are not long lasting. Also, the younger the child during the divorce, the more at risk he/she is for developing behavioral problems, but as for academic and social outcomes, teenagers/adolescents are the most at risk. Interparental conflict and parenting were found to be the most influential mediator between divorce and children’s adjustment. Many factors stemming from the type of family structure can have both negative/beneficial effects on the children, though in general, the original hypothesis is supported.

Evaluation

This source is valuable in explaining a vast number of factors that may have an impact on children, besides the divorce itself. Each is carefully accounted for and evaluated as a mediator between divorce and children’s adjustment.

References

Amato, Paul R. (1993). Children’s Adjustments to Divorce: Theories, Hypotheses, and Empirical Support. National Council on Family Relations. 55(1). 23-38.

Aseltine Jr, R. H. (1996). Pathways linking parental divorce with adolescent depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 133-148.

Bayrakal, S., & Kope, T. M. (1990). Dysfunction in the single-parent and only-child family. Adolescence, 25(97), 1.

Beal, M.D., E. W. and Hochman, G. (1991). Adult Children of Divorce. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

Davidson, R. D., O'Hara, K. L., & Beck, C. J. (2014). Psychological and biological processes in children associated with high conflict parental divorce. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 65(1), 29-44.

Jurma, A. M. (2015). Impact of Divorce and Mother's Psychological Well-Being on Children's Emotional, Behavioral, and Social Competences. Revista de cercetare si interventie sociala, 48.

Lansford, J. (2013). Parental divorce and children's adjustment. Journal of Family Issues, 34(23), 460-485. Retrieved from http://pps.sagepub.com/

Marriage and Divorce. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/topics/divorce/

Schroeder, R., Osgood, A., & Oghia, M. (2010). Family Transitions and Juvenile Delinquency. Sociological Inquiry, 80(4), 579-604.

Shansky, J. (2002). Negative effects of divorce on child and adolescent psychosocial adjustment. Journal of Pastoral Counseling, 37, 73.

Størksen, I., Røysamb, E., Holmen, T. L., & Tambs, K. (2006). Adolescent adjustment and well‐being: effects of parental divorce and distress. Scandinavian journal of psychology, 47(1), 75-84.

Vanassche, S., Sodermans, A. K., Matthijs, K., & Swicegood, G. (2013). Commuting between two parental households: The association between joint physical custody and adolescent well-being following divorce. Journal of Family Studies, 19(2), 139-158.