How Divorce Can Impact on Children
An individual’s physical and
mental wellbeing can be influenced by several different factors that will
impact on the individual’s growth, development and sense of self, either in a
positive or negative way. The impact on the individual might be of a physical, emotional,
socio-economic and environmental nature.
The therapist needs to
know of these factors in order to understand the effect they have on the
physical, intellectual, emotional and social development of the individual and
how this has contributed to the individual’s self-concept and behaviour.
Parental separation has
a significant impact on a child’s behaviour. However the way the child reacts
may vary considerably, depending on the child’s age at the time of separation (Amato,
2000). Family dynamics connected to divorce, such as the extent of parental
strife, modifications in parenting, the estrangement of a parent and changes in
family finances contribute significantly to the child’s development and
long-term adjustment. As Hetherington & Arasteh (1988) suggest parental
separation changes the child’s positive view of the world.
The breakdown of the family
unit and the subsequent re-structuring of family life instigated by divorce or
a separation creates a process whereby modifications to a child’s lifestyle
especially regarding primary attachment can be detrimental to the child’s
development. Evidence suggests that the nature of the separation can impact
negatively on a child’s educational, emotional, psychological and educational
arenas. These outcomes can continue into adulthood. Research conducted by Ross and
Mirokovsky (1999) indicates that individuals who had experienced divorce as a
child had a much higher tendency to marry at a younger age, divorce or separate
and marry again, experience long-term emotional problems associated to
attachments and relationships. Evidence provided by
Ross and Mirowsky also suggests that children of divorced parents tended to be less
successful educationally, socioeconomically, and showed higher levels of
depression.
It has been
suggested that this may be the result of a delay in social development, associated
to the emotional intensity of parental separation. Moreover children
and teenagers of estranged parents are more likely to experience greater
economic, social and health difficulties through childhood, their teenage years
and early adulthood and have a higher tendency to use alcohol, tobacco and recreational
drugs; become sexually active at a younger age and have unwanted pregnancies. Haiman
(1994) has concluded “When children experience the separation or divorce of
their parents, it is common for them to develop problems and lose behavioural
gains […] Well-behaved children may show anger and aggression […] Children who
used to think clearly and understand easily may become confused and find it
hard to communicate rationally. Once happy children may become morose and
depressed […] It is common for young children to manifest one or a combination
of these problems in various degrees of severity in response to the separation
and divorce of their parents.