One of the prominent organizations in the United States that offer therapy services to children from divorced families is the Children’s Institute. It is located in Rochester, New York. The mission of the organization is “Strengthening social and emotional health” (Children’s Institute, 2018). As the mission suggests, the organization was set up to help the affected children cope with the emotional effects of the divorce. The proponents had the idea that children from divorced marriages were not receiving enough support from their parents because of the conflicts. As a result, the children risk missing out on crucial childhood experiences, an aspect which may have adverse effects on their adult life. One of the services that the organization provides is behavioral therapy, which aims at molding the children into responsible citizens. Secondly, the organization provides social events, most of them being games to make the children forget about their past experiences and instead form important social links.
A lot of factors influenced the formulation of this research topic. It is also important to note that the topic was also influenced by current trends as well as various sources of literature. Fagan & Churchill (2012) mention some of the adverse effects among children as a result of divorce. The first is diminished social skills. Children from divorced families view themselves as being unequal to their peers who have both parents. As a result, such children tend to withdraw from their peers. Some of the children with both parents also escalate the situation by bullying the victims of divorce. Secondly, antisocial behavior often leads to psychological problems such as aggression, withdrawal, inattention, anxiety, and even hostility towards adults (Fagan & Churchill, 2012). Owing to such adverse effects, it is evident that children who are effected ought to be given therapy to help them live a normal life.
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A recent study conducted by Williams-Owens (2017) asserts that approximately 40 percent of children in the United States experience parental divorce before they attain the age of 18, an age which its attainment is presumed to result into adulthood. The author elicits an interesting discussion where he states that when her daughter was barely nine years old, she asked her why she was the only person in the estate who was still married. That question is clear evidence that divorce rates in the United States are too high and worrying. Nevertheless, parents can sometimes cope up with the situation because they can make rational decisions. On the contrary, children usually have so much emotional attachment to both parents and being away from even one parent may have devastating psychological impacts. The research topic is concerned with children of both gender from as young as a few months to 18 years old.
Nonetheless, there is debate concerning how the children ought to be treated. The debate is whether to keep the children in specialized therapy centers for long periods of time or to leave one parent with the child or children but require the parents to take them to therapy centers. I have analyzed a broad literature review, some sources supporting the therapy centers while others favoring the latter. The discussion and analysis of the literature will be evaluated to present the best solution. Other aspects that the literature will discuss include differences in the care of the children due to factors such as gender, age, and individual needs. For instance, the needs for a four-year old will not be the same as those of a thirteen-year old.
Conclusively, I am also interested in investigating the specific activities that are provided in the therapy centers. Are those activities impacting positively on the affected children? Secondly, I am also curious about the results of the therapy programs. Have they achieved the intended success? And if so, what index or scale are they using to measure the success of the programs?
References
Children’s Institute. (2018). Children’sinstitute.net . Retrieved 30 June 2018, from https://www.childrensinstitute.net/programs/codip
Fagan, P. F., & Churchill, A. (2012). The effects of divorce on children. Marriage & Religion Institute , 12 , 1-48.
Williams-Owens, W. M. (2017). The Behavioral Effects Divorce Can Have on Children.
