Introduction
Divorce and separation are issues that are affecting families across the globe as a result of the family instability they are associated with. The latter has necessitated the adoption of alternatives to stable marriages, a trend that is prevalent in Western countries, leading to an increased rate of cohabitation. However, cohabitation has proven less unstable compared to marriage and does not reduce the incidents of single-parent families. The US has equally been affected by the changing family dynamics, especially by the heightened divorce rates and increasing non-marital births. Hence, only 60% of American children live with their married parents, with who they share biological ties. Resultantly, “family instability has become a critical public health issue, especially considering the impact it has on the children” (D'Onofrio & Emery, 2019).
Equally, children living in an environment where there is constant parental conflict are adversely affected by the same. Researchers have shown that as early as six months, children can exhibit distress when there is a conflict between their parents. Thus, among the reactions that the children are likely to show are sadness, anger, anxiety and sleep irregularity. In other cases, a child’s distress may be expressed externally as aggression, delinquency and hostility. In most cases, “the children lack social competence and interpersonal skills, aspects of their personalities that may affect their adult lives, especially in terms of the negative impact they are likely to have on their romantic relationships” (Rothenberg et al., 2017).
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The purpose of this paper is to establish the impact that parental separation and conflict within marriages have on families, especially the children. The paper will explore the performance of single-parented children and compare it with that of children living with both parents to establish the differences, thereof. Additionally, the paper will investigate the matter of parental separation and conflict and its effect on the children.
The paper starts with an introduction that briefly highlights the issues associated with divorce, separation and conflict within families. Following is a literature review which covers the background of the problems outlined above and provides a summary of previous research conducted on the subject matter. Consequently, the methodology section explains the method used to do research and explores the data collection techniques that were employed to prove the hypotheses, after which the research hypotheses are stated. Then, the findings of the study are discussed and interpreted and a conclusion drawn.
Literature Review
According to Fish et al. (2012), “a correlation between health and family conflict exists, with the result of the conflict affecting the children’s behaviors as youngsters and adults.” Among the manifestations of the effects of family conflict on children are drug use, smoking, alcoholism and engagement in risky sexual behaviour. In another research by Weiss (2012), results indicated that “adults raised in divorce families exhibit higher unemployment rates and the increased likelihood of diagnosis with anxiety and depression as well as depict lower academic achievement.”
On the other hand, research findings indicate that the role-sharing during marriage impacts family relations positively. In cases where a child’s father is involved in their life, regardless of whether the relationship with the child’s mother is marital, the quality of the relationship between the child and their father when they become adults is better compared to that of a divorce adult child and their father. The latter may be explained by the fact that fathers from divorced families are likely to have been minimally invested in their children’s lives before the divorce, after which the relationship with their children takes a downward spiral. These findings are crucial because they highlight that “high involvement of fathers in their children’s lives during a marriage may result in lesser consequences, with regard to the long-term father-child relationships involved” (Kalmijn, 2015).
Also, Kalmijn (2015), indicates that “an analysis of the level of conflict between parents is crucial to the determination of the future relationships of children and their fathers.” The researcher states that according to other studies, it is evident that marital conflict negatively impacts the relations that children have with their parents, with younger children having more imperfect relationships with them. The same result is exhibited in Kalmijn’s research, which analyzes the long-term ties that children have with conflicting parents. However, when parents get divorced, Kalmijn’s research (2015) shows that “the marital conflict has a weaker effect on the relationships of fathers and their children, a phenomenon that may be described as the stress relief effect.” Thus, when the inter-parental conflict is high, children can interact with their fathers better if they distance themselves from the conflict, through separation or divorce, as opposed to when both parents remain married. In cases where parents choose to stay married with high conflict level plaguing their marriages, children find it unpleasant to be in their parental homes, and the result is their gradual distancing from their parents.
In a research conducted by Yárnoz-Yaben and Garmendia (2016), “children that are brought up in conflicting families, with the result being divorce or separation, tend to experience loyalty conflicts, even into their adulthood.” The researchers support the idea that “parental conflict weakens the relationships between children and their parents,” like Kalmijn (2015), and go on to explain that the said involvement in parental conflict affects the children’s well-being. Previously, research has shown that older children are likely to be more affected by divorce because they face the risk of their parents disclosing inappropriate details of the ongoing conflict to them. Resultantly, they feel caught up in the conflict, with findings showing that daughters, more than sons, end up in the middle of their parents’ disputes since they tend to adopt meditative roles to foster conflict resolution. The result of the said involvement is “the risk of poor quality of their intimate relationships” (Mustonen et al., 2011). Furthermore, “the lack of boundaries in the mentioned family structures, as well as the associated triangulation may hamper the adolescent individualization process, hurting the children’s well-being” (Spichiger, 2013).
Methodology
Data
The researcher collected data for the study from both primary and secondary data sources. The primary data collection method involved the administration of a survey among 15 individuals, who were selected based on their age group. Five of the participants were between the ages of 8 and 10, the other five were between ages 11 and 13, and the last group of five was between the ages of 14 and 18. The participants were required to answer the questions in the questionnaire as honestly as possible then submit the completed survey to the researcher. However, the younger participants (8-10) took the survey under supervision so that the researcher could explain and clarify whatever they did not understand. The researcher managed to get all fifteen completed surveys, but two of the completed questionnaires had questions that the participants did not answer.
Additionally, the researcher used secondary data sources from peer-reviewed websites and journals to offer background information that was crucial to the creation of the survey. Also, the secondary data was vital to the hypothesis formulation process, and it provided a base upon which the researcher could root their argument and support the findings realized from the data collected.
Hypothesis
The researcher formulated two hypotheses for the study. The first hypothesis states children raised by single parents usually perform less across a wide range of measures compared to those raised in families where both parents are present. The second hypothesis indicates parental separation has been associated with many adverse outcomes on children .
Discussion and Interpretation
Out of the fifteen survey participants, seven indicated that they were from ‘broken’ families, where their parents were either divorced or separated. The said number represented 46.67% of the study participants, an observation that aligns with the recorded statistics on separation and divorce rates in the US. Divorce and marriage is a common experience in Western cultures, with more than 90% of individuals marrying by the time they are 50 years old. Moreover, healthy marriages that involve couples with good mental and physical health are suitable for children because they protect them from social, personal, psychological, educational and physical issues. “Regardless, 40-50% of marriages in America end in divorces, with the said divorce rate increasing gradually” ("Marriage and Divorce", 2019) .
Therefore, to affirm the first hypothesis, the researcher required to analyze the answers for questions four and five, on the questionnaire, provided by the seven study participants, who indicated that they were from divorced or separated families. Question four of the survey sought information on the performance of the students and required them to note where their performance ranged within the A to F bracket. Out of the seven divorce/separation affected participants, one stated that their performance was in the ‘As-Bs’ category, four highlighted that they lied in the ‘Cs-Ds’ category and 2 picked the ‘Fs’ category on the questionnaire. Thus, 85.71% of the divorce/separation affected children got less than B grades in their academic work, making them average or poor performers.
The result above can be explained through research findings that show that separation and divorce have a positive correlation with diminished school performance and achievement. A study that was performed on elementary school children showed that when the said participants experienced parental divorce, their school performance immediately diminished, compared to their counterparts that were not exposed to such conditions. Moreover, studies show that such children tend to become lesser educated adults because their involvement in marital disruption lowers their educational aspirations ("Effects of Divorce on Children's Education [Marripedia]", 2019). Furthermore, according to Odenweller (2014), “children from divorced families are at a higher risk of behavioral and emotional challenges, compared to their counterparts from intact families.” Thus, their diminished educational performance may be associated with their risk adjustment issues resulting from the experience of undergoing their parents’ pre-separation conflict.
Furthermore, survey question 5 wanted to establish whether the study participants had trouble maintaining relationships. 71.42% of the participants whose parents were either divorced or separated indicated that they had difficulty managing relationships. The latter may be explained by the fact that children in divorced families receive less emotional support from their parents, resulting in lower social maturity. Moreover, their parents tend to be more worried and stressed, even about their children’s well-being, making them more overprotective, especially when their children reach puberty. Therefore, the participants between 14 and 18 may experience a heightened inability to explore romantic relations, because of their parent’s overprotectiveness ("Effects of Divorce on Family Relationships [Marripedia]", 2019). Additionally, in the long run, children from divorced families may lack the capability to maintain lasting marriages because of their perception that marital conflict cannot be overcome and they are anxious about repeating their parent’s mistakes. “They assume that their relationships will fail” (Whitton et al., 2013).
Consequently, to prove the second hypothesis, the researcher focused on the answers of questions three, six and seven from the participants whose parents were either divorced or separated (7 participants). Question three sought to determine whether the participants had any health or behavioral issues. 100% of the participants from divorce homes picked the “yes” answer. The said result may be explained by statistics which show that children from divorced families are likely to be under less supervision as a result of only being under the care of a single parent. So, parental emotional support is also low. On the other hand, children who are in the custody of one parent because of conflict in situations concerning death, imprisonment and divorce have been documented to have a higher likelihood of engaging in risky and health-compromising behavior (Borst, 2015).
Additionally, research also shows that conflict within families that manifests as divorce may cause anxiety, anger and distress, and also put the children at a heightened risk of developing inadequate coping mechanisms. The latter may be explained by the fact that when children are dealing with the separation of their parents because of family conflict, they become insecure. The said insecurity affects their attachment to others and makes it hard for them to manage their interpersonal relationships, even as adults. Furthermore, the effects of conflict caused by infidelity within families manifest in the affected children as risky behavior. Thus, “older children, like adolescents and young adults, tend to respond to such conflict through externalized behavior like drug use and engaging in dangerous sexual activities while younger ones react to the same more passively showing signs of depression, and anxiety” (Borst, 2015).
Consequently, question six on the questionnaire sought to determine whether the issues at home affected the study participants outside their homes and all the participants from divorce homes agreed that there was a trickle effect associated with the problems in their homes. The mentioned result is supported by the findings of previous researchers who explain that about 40% of children in America experience parental divorce during their childhood years. One of the common effects of the divorce is relocation, as the parents seek to move as far away from each other as possible. In the process, the children may be forced to move to new areas where they have no friends. Thus, coping with the changes, thereof, within a new environment may prove difficult causing them to act out in protest of their parents’ decisions by skipping school, fighting and engaging in other detrimental activities ( Sokol et al., 2017) .
Additionally, children from divorced families tend to be more predisposed to becoming victims of abuse as a result of the emotional instability that is associated with coping with their parents’ divorce. Also, the result of the divorce may be a drastic decrease in income, up to 50% from 100%. This “forces the children to live under financially unstable conditions, with some being forced to live below the poverty line” (Fragan & Churchill, 2012).
Finally, question seven sought to establish whether the children from divorced families had sleep-related issues. Five of the seven affected participants indicated that they slept for fewer hours than required. The latter may be explained by research findings which indicate that sleep patterns are subject to both social and psychological factors, as whatever happens in one’s daily life is crucial to their sleep health. Thus, children that witness the divorce or separation of their parents are exposed to constant conflict, which causes stress. When the children are living under highly stressful conditions, their bodies react to the same as it attempts to protect them from the perceived threat. The sleeplessness is a result of the central nervous’ system defensive mechanisms that affect the circadian rhythm, leading to the disruption of sleeping patterns. The said sleep issues may persist after divorce as the children try to cope with their new living conditions, resulting in prolonged effects on the children’s sleep quality.
Conclusion
Divorce, separation and conflict are issues that affect families not only in the US but also around the world. Research shows that children living under the named family conditions tend to experience adverse effects that manifest like harmful behavior that often threatens their physical well-being. Moreover, the findings of previous research show that the impact of separation, divorce and conflict also have long-term implications on the lives of the children involved. In agreement, the findings of the current study indicate that children from single-parent families tend to register lower performance in their education, characterised by lower grades in school and lesser academic achievements as grownups.
Additionally, in terms of relationships, they tend to have weaker connections with others, especially in a romantic sense, because of their pre-conceived notion that highlights the ‘impossibility’ of problem resolution in relationships, especially marriage. Similarly, the research findings also clarify that parental separation has adverse effects on children, including on their health and behavior, interaction outside their homes and on their sleep health. Hence it is crucial for parents to be more aware of the said effects of conflict within families so that they can protect their children from the adversities, thereof, in cases where divorce and separation are inevitable.
References
Borst, J. B. (2015). A systematic review of the effects of family conflict: Focusing on divorce, infidelity, and attachment style.
D'Onofrio, B., & Emery, R. (2019). Parental divorce or separation and children's mental health. World Psychiatry , 18 (1), 100.
Effects of Divorce on Children's Education [Marripedia]. (2019). Retrieved from http://marripedia.org/effects_of_divorce_on_children_s_education
Fagan, P. F., & Churchill, A. (2012). The effects of divorce on children. Marri Research , 1-48.
Fish, J. N., Pavkov, T. W., Wetchler, J. L., & Bercik, J. (2012). Characteristics of those who participate in infidelity: The role of adult attachment and differentiation in extradyadic experiences. The American Journal of Family Therapy , 40 (3), 214-229.
Kalmijn, M. (2015). How Childhood Circumstances Moderate the Long‐Term Impact of Divorce on Father–Child Relationships. Journal of marriage and family , 77 (4), 921-938.
Marriage and Divorce. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/topics/divorce
Mustonen, U., Huurre, T., Kiviruusu, O., Haukkala, A., & Aro, H. (2011). Long-term impact of parental divorce on intimate relationship quality in adulthood and the mediating role of psychosocial resources. Journal of Family Psychology , 25 (4), 615.
Odenweller, B. (2014). Does Parental Divorce Have an Affect on a Child's Education?.
Rothenberg, W. A., Hussong, A. M., & Chassin, L. (2017). Modeling trajectories of adolescent‐perceived family conflict: Effects of marital dissatisfaction and parental alcoholism. Journal of Research on Adolescence , 27 (1), 105-121.
Sokol, K. R., Stevenson, M. M., & Braver, S. L. (2017). Families of Divorce. Contemporary Families at the Nexus of Research and Practice , 18 .
Spichiger, MCB (2013). Experiência de individuação de um adolescent: confusão de papéis parentais as fator de risco no context of adoção interfamiliar. Journal Sul-Americana de Psicologia , 1 (1), 81-101.
Weiss, F. L. (2012). The Education-Drug Use Connection: How Successes and Failures in School Relate to Adolescent Smoking, Drinking, Drug Use, and Delinquency. The Prevention Researcher , 19 (5), 18-19.
Whitton, S. W., Stanley, S. M., Markman, H. J., & Johnson, C. A. (2013). Attitudes toward divorce, commitment, and divorce proneness in first marriages and remarriages. Journal of Marriage and Family , 75 (2), 276-287.
Yárnoz-Yaben, S., & Garmendia, A. (2016). Parental divorce and emerging adults’ subjective well-being: The role of “carrying messages”. Journal of Child and Family Studies , 25 (2), 638-646.
Sample Questionnaire
Are your parents divorced or separated?1
a. Yes
b. No
Are you a teenager or adult (over 18)?2
a. teen
b. adult
Do you have any health/behavioral issues?3
a. Yes
b. No
How well do you perform in school?4
a. A’s - B's
b. C’s - D's
c. F's
Is it hard for you to maintain relationships?5
a. Yes
b. No
Do problems at home affect your life outside of home?6
a. Yes
b. No
Do you sleep well at night?7
a. No (Less than the average hours of sleep)
