Children of Divorced Parents

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews a longitudinal study conducted by Pennsylvania State University, which reveals that the effects of divorce on children depend on the parents' marriage. Children of couples who fight a lot tend to fare better psychologically and socially after divorce than do the children of couples whose marriages show few outward signs of stress. The author points out that a new book, "The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce,'' by psychologist Judith Wallerstein, based on a recent study, argues that emotional complications are common among adult children of divorced parents, although many of these complications may not be fully evident until decades after the breakup. The paper cites a recent report by Kather and Rembar at Children's Psychiatric Hospital, University of Michigan, that a father lost through divorce is associated with diminished self-concepts in children and that one of the most devastating affects on a child is fear of abandonment by the remaining parent.

Table of Contents
Parent's Marriage, Child Post-Divorce
Implications for a Child's Future
View of Children in a Divorcing Family
A Summary of Effects

From the Paper:

"On the positive side, the researchers found that the adult children of divorced parents have strong survival instincts. The same experiences that hindered relationships were effective in the workplace. The study participants had a good deal of success getting along with difficult people, and those who had mothers who often said one thing and fathers who said another became adept at making up their own minds.
The study also compared the adults from divorced families to 44 adults from intact families. Children of intact marriages took strength from their parents' decision to stay together, the researchers found, even though the marriage may have had conflict and unhappiness similar to those of families that broke up."

More papers on Children of Divorced Parents:

• Essay # 84305 : "Children of Divorced Parents"
• Essay # 22821 : "Children of Divorce"
• Book Review # 5265 : "The Children of Divorce"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: