The Effects of Divorce on Children

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First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage. Nowhere in that nursery rhyme is there the mention of divorce. Let’s face it, if you are happy in your marriage then, outside of their teenage years, children are benefiting from that same happiness. However, when a relationship turns sour and divorce is inevitable, the residual effects are usually emotionally scarred children. Children of divorce are often neglected in this situation and can sometimes act out in many ways. They may become sad and suffer from depression, turn to drugs and lead destructive lifestyles, and often times they end up in similar unhealthy relationships. Emotions are a big part of life especially when dealing with something so difficult such as divorce. Children can begin to become insecure and afraid, often questioning what their future will be like due to the instability they’ve experienced in the midst of or as a result of a divorce. They may experience sadness and believe that they will never have a real or whole family again. To them, “normal life”, is a thing of the past and they are often unable to see any positive outcomes from the chaos in their life caused by their parents. If sadness of this nature is not addressed properly and is sustained for too long it can develop in to stress and/or depression. Anger can also occur if the child doesn’t fully understand or agree with the circumstances of a divorce, leading them to resentment often times causing them to act out. Being put under a lot of pressure to behave as if nothing is wrong is not fun and can cause children to avoid facing the problem by distracting themselves all in an effort to ignore the issue. Statistics show that more than 40% of all children will at some point experience a divorce in their family. A recent study on adolescent health shows that teens that experience a

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