Divorce’s Effects on Children

The sharp rise in divorce rates in the United States from 1960 to 1980 is well known, and the divorce rate has been higher in the past 20 years. In 1970, an American family under the age of 12 and children under the age of 18 were led by a single parent, and in 1984, one in four people was nearly 60% of the black families as a single parent did. p. 619). These high divorce rates have brought many changes to American family life.

The impact of divorce on children today The divorce and the impact on children are a common problem in today's world. Marriage is not limited to married couple. Children often undergo the divorce frenzy, divorce becomes a complex decision for most parents. Understanding the impact of divorce on children is important to know exactly why the child is acting in some way. Divorce may affect children on a psychological, intellectual, or even behaviorally basis. - Millions of divorce each year. Children whose parents are divorced get divorced from themselves, the relationship gets worse and the chances of reporting that they are dissatisfied with their lives are higher (Brown 1999). More than 25% of women divorce within 10 years and one-third of all marriages are suspended within 10 years. Guldner and O'Connor (1991) stated, "Collective therapy to treat divorced children is a treatment of choice if possible."

Child's age plays an important role in dealing with divorce. The influence of divorce on children under 9 years old, so-called pre-school children tends to blame their divorce. They also dream of their parents coming back again someday. This is a wishful thinking. For pre-school children, families, especially their parents, are the center of their universe. They need a lot of attention, attention, love and confirmation. Due to divorce, they may depend on parents more. Divorced parents have reported that after divorce children started sleeping again and do not want or do not want simple tasks like before. Perhaps this is how they approach their parents.