Effects Of Divorce On Children

Are children of divorced couples more at risk for antisocial behavior than children in intact homes? Parents whose marriages are secure produce secure and independent children. In contrast, a child living in a broken home is a strong indicator of a child’s delinquent behavior. Children who have experienced family breakup are more likely to display behavior problems and hyperactivity than children in intact families.

The effects of divorce on child are not short term but are long lasting. Family breakup is usually associated with conflict, hostility, and aggression. Furthermore, there is a clear link why children living in broken homes are more likely to become delinquent than children who lived in two parent households. Children of divorce develop lingering fears about their own ability to develop long-term relationships which, these fears often hinder their lives a few years after they divorce. Most spouses are able to reduce their emotional pain and move on with their lives a few years after they divorce; where as this is not be true of their children because their emotional distress may last for decades.

How does divorce effect boys and girls differently? Boys seem to be more affected by the post divorce absence of the father. In post divorce situations, fathers seem less likely to be around to solve problems, to discuss standards of conduct, or to enforce discipline. A divorced father who remains actively involved in the child’s life reduces his son’s chances of delinquency. In contrast, girls are more affected by the quality of their of their mother’s parenting and post divorce parental conflict. Overall, boys and girls are affected by divorce due to emotional distress and are as prone to delinquency but the major difference is the father to son and mother to daughter relationship following the divorce.

Links Of Interest:

Coping With Divorce

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/children_divorce.htm

Effects Of Divorce On Child

http://extension.unh.edu/Family/Documents/divorce.pdf

Myths Surround Child And Divorce

http://divorcesupport.about.com/od/childrenanddivorce/p/childrenmyths.htm