Children and Parental Loss

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the problems children face upon the loss of a parent due to divorce or death. The paper provides a literature review which includes long-term studies on the effects of divorce on children. The paper further explains that these effects may include school problems, or more serious issues such as dropping out, drug use and crime. The author cites research that supports the view that the trauma of divorce for children is in some ways more complex and has wider developmental and psychological ramifications than the experience of death. Both death and divorce are extreme experiences in a child's life and both can have a wide range of native psychological and developmental repercussions.

From the Paper:

"The possible long-term impact of divorce can be seen in recent figures which show that children from broken homes are often more prone to drug addiction and the dependency on chemicals. A study by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta states that, "... 75% of children/adolescents in chemical dependency hospitals are from single-parent families." (A Generation At Risk) The reason for chemical dependency among children from divorced homes can also be linked to the development of behavioral problems that can result for the effect of the loss of a parent. As a finding for the National Center for Health Statistics states: "1 out of 5 children have a learning, emotional, or behavioral problem due to the family system changing." (A Generation At Risk) "

Sample of Sources Used:

• A Generation At Risk. Nov. 11, 2006. <http://www.rainbows.org/statistics.html>
• Dueck, Ami. DIVORCE AND THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD. 2004. <http://72.14.221.104/search?q=cache:fjUsSic3ZV8J:www.fotf.ca/tfn/family/PDF/Divorce_impact.pdf+%22contact+with+a+non-custodial+parent+should+not+be+taken+lightly%22%22&hl=en&gl=za&ct=clnk&cd=1&lr=lang_en>
• SELF TYPES & THEIR DIFFERENCES ACROSS GENERATIONS AND THE LIFE-CYCLE. Nov. 11, 2006. <http://www.trinity.edu/mkearl/socpsy-6.html >
• Understanding Losses of Stepchildren. Nov. 11, 2006. <>http://www.iloveindia.com/parenting/step-parenting/understanding-losses-of-stepchildren.html
• McDowell U. and Futris T. The Impact of Parental Death on Children. Nov. 11, 2006. < http://72.14.221.104/search?q=cache:eqeS-s8W__AJ:ohioline.osu.edu/flm01/pdf/FS11.pdf+impact+of+death+on+children&hl=en&gl=za&ct=clnk&cd=1&lr=lang_en >

More papers on Children and Parental Loss:

• Research Paper # 61090 : "Juvenile Delinquency and Parent's Death"
• Research Paper # 106748 : "Hearing Loss and Maternal Bonding"
• Term Paper # 133775 : "Divorce: Impact on Children"

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