Divorce

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Divorce and its Effects on Children
One out of three marriages in the United States ends up in divorce. Even so, it is the rate at which people are dissolving marital unions that have become increasingly alarming and of great concern to many scholars. As a result, sociologists and psychologists have done extensive research in a bid to establish the effects of divorce on children. Hence, much of the burden of divorce is born by the children who have to go through psychological torture.
Paul Amato of the Department of Sociology at Pennsylvania State University argues that the age of the children in a divorce play a critical role on how they get affected with the separation (6). Preschoolers (children under nine years) are the most victims of divorce (Amato 6). It is because they are closest to their parents, and may need a lot of care, attention, and love. As a result, they tend to blame themselves for the divorce of their parents and change their behaviors. For instance, they may start doing and not doing the things they did before (Amato 7). Conversely, adolescents react quite differently to the divorce of their parents. They feel more betrayed by their parents, and tend to want to start making independent decisions. As a result, adolescents of divorced parents may begin engaging in rude behavior such as substance abuse and early involvement in sexual activity. For instance, research done in the United States show that adolescents in divorce were the most consumers hard drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and tobacco (Amato 8).

Similarly, psychological research has revealed that divorce may impact the children’s future negatively in their adulthood. For instance, their educational, economic, and love life may be jeopardized by the trauma they go through during childhood as a result of divorce (Amato 11). Hence, such children in divorce may experience reduced performance in life compared to their counterparts. Also, children whose parents faced divorce may have difficulty coping with their relationships (Amato 12). As a result, cases in divorce have been reported to be high among children with such history.
Divorce may be a painful experience both for parents and their children. Although sometimes it becomes inevitable, for the sake of children, it should always be the last resort to solving marital conflict (Weaver & Thomas 39). However, if it does happen, some measures can be taken to ensure that parenting of children is not affected. For example, psychologists suggest that parents who intend to divorce should always inform their children of their impending action in good time to prepare themselves emotionally. Also, parents should do this in a child-friendly manner and educate their children that they have no hand in the impending divorce (Weaver & Thomas 39).
Similarly, research indicates that parents who kept in touch after divorce impacted positively on the children’s upbringing. Hence, parents should continue having time together with their children in important events like birthdays. Similarly, they should keep with routine activities with the toddlers, such as bathing and playing with them (Weaver & Thomas 39).
Divorce is an unfortunate experience for the husband and wife who had come together in love. However, sometimes it may become necessary for them to separate. Even so, the effects on children are so dire that something should be done to solve marital conflicts through dialogue rather than divorce.
Works Cited
Amato, Paul R. “The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children: An Update.” Društvena istraživanja: časopis za opća društvena pitanja 23, no.1, 2014, pp. 5-24.
Weaver, Jennifer M., and Thomas J. Schofield. “Mediation and Moderation of Divorce Effects on Children’s Behavior Problems.” Journal of Family Psychology 29, no.1, 2015, p. 39.