Effect of Divorce on Children

1. Effect of Divorce on Children Introduction to Family Studies Professor Gager

2. Effects of divorce on children • Many studies have considered the effect of divorce on children’s: • scholastic achievement • conduct • psychological adjustment • self esteem • social skills • relationships with parents • But many consequences are difficult to measure – especially long term effects

3. Effects of divorce on children • Short-term effects • 1-2 year crisis period • Children’s lives may be disrupted due to sale of family home • Decline in financial status due to high chance that mom now supporting family – possibly without child support possibly having to reenter the job market

4. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects • Many studies find that children from divorced families experience lower levels of well-being across some of these areas than do children from intact families • However, there are many inconsistencies in these studies • Many studies don’t find significant differences between kids in divorced and intact families  

5. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects of divorce on children • Researchers reviewed the literature from 1970 to 1980 find overwhelming evidence that after the initial trauma of divorce: • children are as emotionally well-adjusted as children from intact families.

6. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects of divorce on children • Long-term studies show that after controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), adolescents who have experienced a divorce have only slightly lower levels of adult adjustment. • Adjustment is measured in several ways: • self-control • leadership • responsibility • achievement • aggressiveness • gender-role orientation

7. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects • My new research shows: • Children from high conflict parents who later separate, are less likely to have conflict in their adult relationships … • compared to kids of high conflict parents who stayed together

8. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects • Other researchers, who collected data on families prior to divorce, found: • Many of the problems that associated with children of divorced families were evident before the actual decision to divorce • Thus, researchers argue that conflict between parents is a fundamental factor that harms children’s development and produces behavioral problems

9. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects • In sum, conflict in families may be the cause of children’s problems, not the actual divorce.

10. Divorce • Summary • Conflict is bad for kids, not necessarily divorce in the long-term • Short-term effects of divorce on children – last 1-2 years • Long-term effects are still debated – more research and better data is needed • Conflict can be the source of negative outcomes for kids – not just divorce

11. Divorce • Summary