Introduction
Although it is not recommended for a married couple on the edge of divorce to stay together only for their children, parents should carefully consider the impact divorce can have on their kids. This period is extremely challenging for the whole family, but children and teenagers’ underdeveloped emotional systems and psyches usually suffer more. Thus, the effects that divorce can have on children include a deteriorated emotional state, poor behaviors, and reduced social skills and engagement.
Deteriorated Emotional and Psychological State
When seeing their family falling apart, many kids experience severe impacts on their emotional system and cannot manage it properly. Firstly, the constant state of fear, sadness, and anxiety, as well as the inevitability of changes, lead to the development of depression (Herrero et al., 2020). Secondly, some children may not cope with the load on their nervous system and fail to understand their own feelings, which leads to mood swings. Finally, exposure to negative emotions and severe stress can result in the appearance of such food disorders as anorexia, bulimia, and others (Schaan et al., 2019). Therefore, parents need to accept their kids’ emotions and monitor changes in their psychological state.
Poor Behaviors
Further, kids may also demonstrate specific behavioral issues and conduct disorders. For example, the inability to cope with emotions, a lack of attention from parents, or deep resentment can develop into aggression, and the kid can begin bullying other children. Then, academic performance can decrease significantly due to a lack of focus or purposeful avoidance of school to demonstrate rebellious behaviors or draw attention (FamilyMeans, n.d.). Thirdly, some teenagers choose to rebel against divorce by abusing different substances, including alcohol and drugs. Keeping discipline and involvement in their kids’ lives can help parents prevent such effects.
Reduced Social Skills and Engagement
Finally, divorce can make children less socially engaged or decrease their capacity and desire to communicate. Firstly, many kids tend to isolate themselves from friends and family because they feel lost and confused. Next, according to researchers, “children whose family is going through a divorce may have a harder time relating to others,” deciding to avoid any attempts to share their feelings (FamilyMeans, n.d., para. 5). Eventually, it is possible that a child whose parents are divorcing loses the unconditional trust and confidence in others and fails to make new friends. One possible way for parents to manage such situations is to continue having quality family time together.
Conclusion
To conclude, worsened emotional states, negative behaviors, and reduced social engagement are the effects that children might experience after their parents get divorced. Thus, many kids and teenagers feel depressed, experience mood swings, and develop eating disorders as they blame themselves or their parents. Their academic performance decreases, and a tendency towards bullying and substance abuse appears. Finally, children may isolate themselves, have trust issues, and stop sharing their feelings. To avoid these adverse effects, divorced parents should carefully manage their kids’ emotional and physical states by paying more healthy attention to them and seeking support from a psychologist or a social worker.
References
FamilyMeans. (n.d.). What are the effects of divorce on children? Web.
Herrero, M., MartĂnez-Pampliega, A., & Alvarez, I. (2020). Family communication, adaptation to divorce and children’s maladjustment: The moderating role of coparenting. Journal of Family Communication, 20(2), 114-128. Web.
Schaan, V. K., Schulz, A., Schächinger, H., & Vögele, C. (2019). Parental divorce is associated with an increased risk to develop mental disorders in women. Journal of affective disorders, 257, 91-99. Web.