A while back, people generally thought that if parents were unhappy, then children were unhappy too and that in such circumstances, divorce presented as the best solution for both parents and children. Recent research has, however, proved that divorce is harmful to the children, and as it turns out, for the parents as well. Limiting the topic to the effects of divorce on children, some of the aspects of children’s lives affected by divorce include their socio-emotional development, academic performance, and intimate relationships as adults. This topic is specifically important to me and to the human services profession, given its exploration of some of the unique social issues facing humanity in the modern age. Many parents in their thirties and forties are increasingly getting divorce, living children stranded in complex family arrangements. The impacts of divorce on children are immediately seen in their academic performances, the loss of interest in social activity, the aggravated emotional sensitivity and irritability, health and mental problems, and the loss of faith in marriage and inability to commit in intimate relationships. This paper discusses the impact of divorce on children, particularly on the socio-emotional development, academic performance, and intimate relations as adults, through a proper analysis of various credible scholarly-reviewed resources.
Impacts of Divorce Children
The thought of not having the parents together for eternity could gravely disturb children who witness first-hand, their parents’ divorce. In general terms, the effects of divorce on children can be classified as short-term and long-term. Short-term effects include anxiety, stress, irritability and mood swings, intense sadness, and immediate poor performance in class assignments and low concentration in class ( Guerrero, 2017) . In the long run, children may develop issues such as behavioral and social problems, relationship troubles, depression, substance abuse, poor educational attainment, and a negative mindset on marriage. While it is not obligatory that these issues will arise, children of divorced parents have a high likelihood of developing such problems.
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Impacts on Children's Social-Emotional Development
Take the case of a child who is used to being with his mother and father at home. He is not bothered seeing other kids with their parents having all kinds of fun. He thrives at school, relates well with his peers, and generally performs well in class. Suddenly, a lot of things that used to be enjoyable become a nuisance. He does not get to have both his parents at home at the same time as other children. Divorce renders such a child emotionally weak and powerless in the midst of his peers ( Eriksen et al., 2017) . He may find himself extremely sad or even weeping when he sees other children in the company of both of their parents. He may feel different and lacking in certain aspects, as he compares himself with the other children. Children of divorced parents are highly likely to develop mental health problems such as depression and anxiety due to their socio-emotional vulnerability. They are easily irritated and emotionally sensitive. They spend a lot of time thinking about their situation and continuously hoping for their parents to reunite again magically. They may be lost in fantasies, where something happens to reunite their parents. Basically, the changes in moods and emotions and the new understanding of reality and society, brought about by divorce, impacts the socio-emotional functioning and development of a child. They are, therefore, more likely to develop mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, and they can be very emotionally sensitive and may often need someone to listen to them.
Academic Performance
If a test was due to take place the following day, and today, John is told by his parents that they are getting a divorce but everything will be just fine, the boy will most likely fail incredibly in the test. If he usually scores a B-plus, for example, he may score a D-minus or even worse. The fact that he may have prepared adequately for this test will not help in this case. In general, the academic achievement of children can be reduced significantly by a divorce. Among many other factors, divorce can lower the aspirations of a child ( Brand et al., 2019) . As they grow up, they learn that at some point, they will have a family of their own as well. So they study hard and hope to make a good life for their future families. Divorce shows them that marriage is not all that smooth and enjoyable, and thus their motivation to succeed in life is greatly reduced. It is why most children of divorced parents do not find it in themselves t aspire for academic excellence. There is no point in achieving academic excellence if its intended purpose is not guaranteed.
Intimate Relationships as Adults
A lot of studies have shown that children learn and develop mostly form what they see around them and how older people in their surroundings behave and interact. At a certain age, they get to learn that for children to be born, there has to be some kind of relationship between a man and a woman. And this, in most cases, forms the basic family. At some point in their lives, therefore, they will have to form similar kinds of relationships and form their own families as well. Family and marriage are some of the most important aspects of life as perceived by children until they get to experience a divorce. Marriage immediately loses its meaning, and relationships are no longer as sacred as they thought they were. It is almost like living while knowing that at some point in time, one has to die. Children of divorced parents become very pessimistic about relationships and marriage ( Braithwaite et al., 2016) . They know relationships are never perfect, and marriages are not all-enjoyable and long-lasting. They thus have trouble being in relationships with others who, in most cases, still believe in committing to relationships and marriage as sacred. Ultimately, those whose parents divorced while they were very young, are most likely to divorce their spouses as compared to those whose parents never divorced.
Literature Review
Eriksen et al. (2017), in the article, “ Family disruption and social, emotional, and behavioral functioning in middle childhood,” investigates the effects of family disruptions, such as divorce, on the socioemotional and behavioral development of children, particularly in middle childhood. A sample of over eight hundred normally developing children was used in the study. Subjects were from intact families and disrupted families (divorced families). Assessment approaches, such as the Behavior Assessment System for Children and the Behavior and Emotional Screening System, were applied. In comparison with children from intact families, the study found that those from disrupted (divorced) families had more problems. They scored higher on externalization problems, study skills and school problems, and socialization problems. Behavioral screening also suggested that family disruption reduced children’s morale and significantly changed their behavior. The study concluded that family disruptions, including divorce, had significant impacts on the socioemotional and behavioral functioning of children.
In a study carried out to find out the effects of family disruption, including the occurrence of a divorce, on the emotional status and cognitive functionality of children, Guerrero (2017) analyzed national data to assess this issue. Children are believed to thrive best while living within the conventional family structure where there are a birth mother and father (Guerrero, 2017). There is basically no environment that is considered healthier than this kind of setting for the proper growth and development of children. A national data (Chilean data) which presented family structures and factors were used in the study to analyze the socioemotional as well as the cognitive impacts of family disruption, divorce include, on the development of children. Additionally, evaluation tests were also conducted on children to assess their cognitive abilities as impacted by their family disruptions. The study found and concluded that divorce, as a form of family disruption, had detrimental impacts on the socioemotional and cognitive functioning and development of children.
Band et al. (2019), in the article, “ Why does parental divorce lower children's educational attainment?” investigates not only the impact of divorce on children’s academic performance but also, how divorce actually lowers children’s educational achievement. The study aimed to find out the root cause of the changes that children exhibit in their academics after the divorce of their parents. The study used the U.S. panel data to assess the various factors of parental divorce that limit children’s educational attainment. One of the key findings of the study was that divorce severely impacted on the educational attainment of white children while it did not have significant impacts on non-white children. Another key finding was that factors that arise after divorces, such as family instability, a declining family income, and changes in children’s psychosocial skills presented as the major limiting and adverse factors of divorce that ultimately affect their academics.
Divorce can have significant effects on changing the attitude of children with regard to their educational attainment. But the issue may get worse in situations where the parents are not only divorced but also have a conflicted relationship. This is the approach taken by Escapa(2017) in the article, “ Effects of Post-Divorce Parental Conflict on Children's Educational Achievement .” Escapa conducted an analysis on over two thousand and seven hundred adolescents living in Catalonia, Spain, using data from the Panel of Families and Children to investigate this issue. The results showed that children whose divorced parents have conflicted relationships were more likely to get poor grades or educational results as compared to those whose divorced parents did not have a conflicted relationship. Also, those whose divorced parents had no conflicted relationship were less likely to obtain poor grades. This study shows the intent to which divorce can affect the academic performance of a child, especially in the case of a conflicted relationship.
Braithwaite et al. (2016), in the article, “ The unique influences of parental divorce and parental conflict on emerging adults in romantic relationships,” presents the idea that parental divorce and parental conflict affect numerous aspects of the lives of children as well as their development. Among the impacts of parental divorce on children, according to this article, is the increased likelihood of divorce in those children’s future marriages. The study analyzed the individual effects of divorce and conflict on children’s romantic relationships as well as marriages as adults. In order to achieve this, the study used a sample made up of over three hundred emerging adults or youths who were almost approaching their adulthood. Results were processed by recording the responses and making observations on the subjects. According to the results of the study, divorce was found to have unique impacts on children’s mentality, especially concerning the issue of marriage and intimate relationships. Divorce was highly associated with dissatisfaction in relationships and less commitment in romantic relationships. Divorce also presented as a mere solution to marital problems. Emerging adults whose parented had divorced, therefore, had elevated risks of having divorces in their own marriages, according to the article.
References
Braithwaite, S. R., Doxey, R. A., Dowdle, K. K., & Fincham, F. D. (2016). The unique influences of parental divorce and parental conflict on emerging adults in romantic relationships. Journal of Adult Development , 23 (4), 214-225.
Brand, J. E., Moore, R., Song, X., &Xie, Y. (2019). Why does parental divorce lower children's educational attainment? A causal mediation analysis. Sociological Science , 6 , 264-292.
Eriksen, H. L. F., Hvidtfeldt, C., &Lilleør, H. B. (2017). Family disruption and social, emotional, and behavioral functioning in middle childhood. Journal of child and family studies , 26 (4), 1077-1089.
Escapa, S. (2017). Effects of Post-Divorce Parental Conflict on Children's Educational Achievement. Revista Española de InvestigacionesSociológicas (REIS) , 158 (158), 41-56.
Guerrero, A. (2017). Cognitive and socio-emotional effects of family disruption during early childhood: a longitudinal study using Chilean data.
