Divorce affects many members of the family, including children. Statistics show that annually more than one million children will go through the process of divorce within their family per year (Bing, Nelson & Wesolowski, 2009). The study reported that 40% of all children will experience parental divorce during their lifetimes (Arkes, 2013). This study illustrates that there are numerous consequences of parental divorce on children. When compared to children from non-divorce households, children from divorced families have more stressful relationships with other members of the family, poorer academic performance in school, and delayed psychological development (Cartwright, 2008). Additional research found children from …show more content…
Change for children of divorced parents has been found to be more challenging due to poor parent-child relations. One study concluded two parents provide better socialization and control for children than just a single parent (Arkes, 2013). In high conflict marriages and divorce, children are more likely to exhibit symptoms of conduct disorders, antisocial behavior, difficulty relating to peers, the problem with authority figures, and mental health concerns (Bing et al., 2009). Age-Related Impact of Parental Divorce A child’s age at the time of parental divorce is an additional factor that impacts the child’s functioning. Research indicates that divorce presents a multitude of psychological challenges for children throughout the various stages of development (Wallerstein, 1989). Age is related to developmental life stage, which can be a predictor of the divorce-related consequences that children may face (Utz, …show more content…
Relocation, new family structures, and change in income are some key factors that can change for children who are impacted by parental divorce (Bing, 2009). These factors can cause lasting serious effects on the children involved. This may be due to the weak sense of self-control that is brought on by the environment of divorce for the children (Utz, 2012). These broad changes that are brought upon the children of parental divorce can have an influence on the child’s perception of divorce. Some of these lasting effects include changes in their relationship with their parents. Children of divorce experience a disruption in the parental relationship during and after a divorce. Hoffman (1996) found that children of divorce have impaired relationships with their parents both immediately following the divorce and for some time after. In some cases, children of divorce might experience a devastating loss of a relationship with a parent 12 entirely (Harvey, 2004). These major life changes from the child’s previous norm within the parental structure can have a lasting traumatic effect on the child’s life and can influence their perception of