Effect of Divorce on Children

1. Effect of Divorce on Children Introduction to Family Studies Professor Gager

2. Children & Divorce • A major problem following a divorce is that many women and children do not receive child support, even when it is court ordered • 2/3 of families with no father present who were supposed to receive child support, actually do receive support • Only 48 percent of families actually receive anysupport

3. Child Support Data, 2007

4. Children & Divorce • Most mothers still retain custody of children after a divorce • Custody involves decisions about • who will have responsibility for the children? • where will the children live? • Legal custody refers to having the right to make important decisions about the child’s life • Physical custody refers to where children actually live • The Squid and the Whale – movie about a family going through a divorce • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Rl5exupSo

5. Children & Divorce • Most mothers still retain custody of children after a divorce • Joint custody is becoming more common • Joint legal custody – based on the idea that parent’s responsibilities towards their children have not changed • Joint physical custody - children spend at least 33% of their time with each parent

6. Children & Divorce • Joint physical custody is growing • Children spend substantial time in the household of each parent – but in reality mothers still have custody more of the time

7. Children & Divorce • Father involvement • Why do fathers fade from children’s lives after divorce? • Visits to children are painful reminder of failed marriage • Fathers investing in new family if they remarry • Cherlin speculates that fathers related only indirectly to children through wife

8. Children & Divorce • Rather than practicing coparenting after a divorce, most families practice parallel parenting: • Often, after several years – parents go about parenting separately • Father only families are growing rapidly • From 1980 to 1998 – the number of father-headed families tripled • 19 percent of single-parent families are headed by fathers • 4 percent of all children live in single-father families

9. Effects of divorce on children • Many studies have considered the effect of divorce on children’s: • scholastic achievement • conduct • psychological adjustment • self esteem • social skills • relationships with parents • But many consequences are difficult to measure – especially long term effects

10. Effects of divorce on children • Short-term effects • 1-2 year crisis period • Children’s lives may be disrupted due to sale of family home • Decline in financial status due to high chance that mom now supporting family – possibly without child support possibly having to reenter the job market

11. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects • Many studies find that children from divorced families experience lower levels of well-being across some of these areas than do children from intact families • However, there are many inconsistencies in these studies • Many studies don’t find significant differences between kids in divorced and intact families  

12. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects of divorce on children • Researchers reviewed the literature from 1970 to 1980 find overwhelming evidence that after the initial trauma of divorce: • children are as emotionally well-adjusted as children from intact families.

13. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects of divorce on children • Long-term studies show that after controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), adolescents who have experienced a divorce have only slightly lower levels of adult adjustment. • Adjustment is measured in several ways: • self-control • leadership • responsibility • achievement • aggressiveness • gender-role orientation

14. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects • My new research shows: • Children from high conflict parents who later separate, are less likely to have conflict in their adult relationships … • compared to kids of high conflict parents who stayed together

15. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects • Other researchers, who collected data on families prior to divorce, found: • Many of the problems that associated with children of divorced families were evident before the actual decision to divorce • Thus, researchers argue that conflict between parents is a fundamental factor that harms children’s development and produces behavioral problems

16. Effects of divorce on children • Long-term effects • In sum, conflict in families may be the cause of children’s problems, not the actual divorce.

17. Divorce • Summary • Conflict is bad for kids, not necessarily divorce in the long-term • Short-term effects of divorce on children – last 1-2 years • Long-term effects are still debated – more research and better data is needed • Conflict can be the source of negative outcomes for kids – not just divorce

18. Divorce • Summary