Spotlight Blog

“As divorce has become more and more common in the US, the number of children affected by divorce has increased greatly. The effects of divorce on children are controversial and there are a number of opinions out there on just what is “best” for kids. If you select this option, I want you to find two credible sources that argue divorce is inherently harmful to children and two credible sources that argue children can come through a divorce without serious consequences. Make sure to assess the arguments and supporting data presented in each source, explain what makes the source credible, and state which side of the issue you think is correct based on your reading. Make sure to list all sources at the end of your post.”

Divorce rates have staggeringly increased throughout the United States. In past decades divorce had been considered socially unacceptable; however, recently, there has become a new level of social acceptance. Some argue that the children involved in these divorces are greatly affected by them while others argue that in the long run children can come through a divorce without serious consequences. In this first spotlight post, I will present 3 peer reviewed journal articles and a book written by a credible family therapist that supports both sides of this argument and conclude with my view on this very controversial issue.

In 2006, the article, “Adolescent’s Adjustment in Four Post-Divorce Family Structures” was published in the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage. The family structures that were studied included single mother, stepfather, joint physical custody, and single father families. Children growing up with single mothers and stepfather family structures had moderate increase in adjustment issues than non-divorced family structured children. However, the single father structure had high increases in adolescents with antisocial behavior and substance abuse. Joint physical custody structure showed no higher risk of adjustment issues than the nondivorced family structure. This research suggests that as long as both parents are engaged in the growth and development of the children whether married or divorced with joint physical custody, the children are at the same rate of adjustment issues.

A previous 1989 article evaluated 1,197 children across the United States. This article entitled, “How marital dissolution affects children: Variations by age and sex,” found that the younger the children at the time of divorce the more negative the impact on the children. The study included data from teachers, parents, and children and showed that children of divorce displayed problem behavior, psychologic distress, and academic performance issues which were long-term effects of the divorce. These negative impacts of divorce on children particularly those who are younger supports claims that divorce can be harmful to children.

The other side or more positive argument is that divorce can be good for the family including the children. The “good divorce” is one that protects the children. In the article, “Reconsidering the Good Divorce” researchers analyzed three family structures (cooperative parenting, parallel parenting, and single parenting). The cooperative parenting or good divorce scenario showed the least amount of behavior issues with the children, and the children had the closet relationship to the father. The argument is that the parents can be civil towards each other and focus on the well being of the children instead of continuing any conflict between the parents.

The Good Divorce is a book that strongly supports when a marriage falls apart, divorce can be good for the entire family.  Half of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. In fact, every 13 seconds a marriage fails. There is hope because families can become binuclear families or families that span two households. This suggests that the children have double the support structure in place to help them grow and develop. As long as parents can minimize conflict and focus on the children, a good divorce is possible.

Overall, divorce has been shown to negatively impact children’s growth and development. This includes problematic behavior outbreaks, academic issues, substance abuse, trust issues, and antisocial tendencies.  Personally, I think that it becomes more difficult for children of divorce to solve conflict within their own lives. I agree that children who grow up in “broken homes” have a difficult time negotiating, communicating, and compromising with others. Additionally, the children that experience divorce at a young age are more susceptible to the negative effects of divorce as they develop. Divorce typically has two different perspectives and often at least one perspective does not consider the divorce to be positive. Divorce should never be taken lightly and should always be a last resort option.

References

Ahrons, C. (2009). The good divorce. Harper Collins.

Allison, P. D., & Furstenberg, F. F. (1989). How marital dissolution affects children: Variations by ageand sex. Developmental Psychology, 25(4), 540-549.

Amato, P. R., Kane, J. B., & James, S. (2011). Reconsidering the “good divorce”. Family relations, 60(5), 511-524.

Breivik, K., & Olweus, D. (2006). Adolescent’s adjustment in four post-divorce family structures: Single mother, stepfather, joint physical custody and single father families. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 44(3-4), 99-124.