Divorce 1
Running head: Divorce
Divorce and the effects it has on children
Divorce 2
Divorce affects over half of our marriages today. Divorce is when two adults decide to split up and not be married to each other anymore. Divorce is not only emotionally distraught to the parents but it is harder for the children. There is little doubt that divorce is very traumatic for children. Children are affected by multitude of divorce-related factors like; parental conflict, poverty, involvement of the noncustodial parent, disruptions of daily routine. Children blame themselves and don’t fully understand what is happening to their family. For a child it is like being on a roller coaster of emotions. Depending on the age of the child will also affect how they deal with the divorce. Older children who see or hear their parents fight might be glad to see them split up. As parents go through the divorce they also need to do everything they can to help their children cope with it as well. It is changing what they are use to and they have to adjust to the new surrounding. Answer their questions, talk to them and try to explain, listen to their concerns, but mostly let them know just how much Dad and Mom love them.
Divorce affects children of different ages. Your age when your parents divorce has a lot to do with how it affects your life (Boeckman, 1980, p. 85).
• Age 3 and under-not much effect from divorce
• Age 3-6-need both parents at this time
Divorce 3
• Age 6-12-need less of both parents
• 12 and up-understands what divorce is and why it is happens
Female teenagers sometimes look for comfort of the opposite sex to fill a void of their father figure. The attention can turn into the wrong kind of attention and can lead to pregnancy. Children whose parents have divorced are increasingly the victims of abuse. They exhibit more health, behavioral, and emotional problems, are involved more frequently in crime and drug abuse, and have...