Introduction
Usually, when parents love their children and children love their parents, divorce inevitably becomes stressful for adults and children. Children are less independent than adults and thus rely on their parents for protection and emotional care, which can be put at risk in case of a divorce. This paper will prove that divorce is a traumatic experience that has a strong effect on child development.
Research Methodology
There are many methods for evaluating the effects of divorce on child development. In this paper, the methods used by cited sources included questionnaires and interviews (Schaan et al. 93), established research from various disciplines (Demir-Dagdas et al. 2), and regular focus group surveys (Goisis et al. 790). Thus, the effects of child divorce discussed in this paper are based on scientific data.
Literature Review: Effects of Divorce on Children
Divorce affects child development in many ways, both physically and mentally. For example, a study has shown that parental separation positively correlates with the possibility of long-lasting child obesity (Goisis et al. 807). Moreover, the period of divorce leads to children experiencing less care from parents and more abuse, both psychological and physical, which may lead to the development of psychological disorders (Schaan et al. 97). The children in separated families show weaker cognitive, physical and psychological outcomes, than the children from intact families (Demir-Dagdas et al. 2). Thus, parental separation leads to detrimental results for children in terms of mental and physical health, as well as cognitive abilities.
Moreover, children from different age groups tend to react differently to divorce. For example, pre-adolescent boys react to parental divorce more dramatically when compared to mid-adolescents and adolescents (Schaan et al. 97). This means that age has a significant effect on a child’s perception of parental separation.
Research Variables
However, variables in the studies used in this paper may affect the findings. For example, divorce can lead to different impacts on children from same-sex and cross-cultural families, as opposed to children from traditional families, as well as for children with disabilities (Demir-Dagdas et al. 12). Hence, the research on the effects of divorce on children is approximate and more categorized research needs to be conducted.
Conclusion
To summarize, parental divorce has a profound effect on a child’s mental and physical health. It can result in mental disorders, poorer physical health, and lower academic results. Further research in this sphere must be conducted to determine the cause of these issues.
Works Cited
Schaan, Violetta, et al. “Parental divorce is associated with an increased risk to develop mental disorders in women.” Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 257, 2019, pp. 91-99. Web.
Demir-Dagdas, Tuba, et al. “Parental Divorce and Children From Diverse Backgrounds: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Mental Health, Parent–Child Relationships, and Educational Experiences.” Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, vol. 59, no. 6, 2018, pp. 469-485. Web.
Goisis, Alice, et al. “Do Children Carry the Weight of Divorce?” Demography, vol. 56, no. 3, 2019, pp. 785-811. Web.