The purpose of this paper is to critique Zinsmeister’s article, and explore its potential flaws and strengths. Summary In this article, Zinsmeister argues that parent’s divorce causes permanent damage to children that affects them the rest of their lives. He claims that divorce “has lasting significance on [children’s] later views of love, families, and life” (Zinsmeister 158). He outlines the ways in which divorce negatively affects children’s schooling, social interactions, mental health and even sexual identity and later marriages. He also claims that an unhappy household due to continued parental conflict causes less damage to children than divorce does, and thus preserving the marriage solely for the sake of the children is the best option.
In the article “Just whom is this Divorce good for? By Marquart she explains, “We found that children of so- called “good” divorces often do worse even than children of unhappy low- conflict marriages. They say more often, that family life was stressful and they had to grow up to soon. They are themselves more likely to divorce and children of divorce feel like divided selves”. I would have to agree with that because I am actually going through my parents getting a divorce and when I found out I didn’t want to believe it at all I didn’t want to see my parents split up it just wasn’t right to me.
This supports bowlby’s theory that failure to form attachments has an irreversible effect on emotional development. This research however can be criticised because it lacks external validity. This is due to the fact that it was a longitudinal study, and during the 16 years there would have been participant drop off. This means that there would be less participants and therefore a smaller sample size, so it cannot be generalised. There is also the chance of social desirability as some people are likely to pretend they have a better relationship with their parents/children so they seem like better parents than they think they are.
However, not enough is known to disentangle the impact of contextual factors that often accompany divorce (e.g., financial pressures and marital conflict) from the impact of the divorce itself. The Impact of Divorce vs. Marital Conflict Divorce: Recent research utilizing more sophisticated methodology than previous studies shows that while children of divorced parents overall have more adjustment problems than children of intact families, the differences between these two groups is smaller and less pronounced than previously believed. In fact, the majority of children of divorce fall within the normal range of adjustment on standardized measures. While it is often difficult to isolate the myriad of factors that impact children of divorce, research has established that they are at a higher risk for adjustment problems than children from intact families. For example, divorced children experience less financial security, lower academic achievement, more alcohol and cigarette use, and lower rates of employment as young adults.
Research shows us all the disadvantages that children of single parent households face and all of the advantages that children have that live in a two parent household. Children that live with only one parent is usually missing a father figure, which plays a vital role in the delinquency of children. Family structure is very important in the upbringing of a child and could be the deciding factor that leads to delinquent behaviors. Literature Review Children who live in homes with only one parent or in which marital relationships have been disrupted by divorce or separation are more likely to display a range of behavioral problems including delinquency, than children who are from two parent families (Thornberry, et al. 1999).
These reasons can range from repeating the cycle of their own fatherless childhoods, to low self-esteem, and the desire to start a new life with another woman who does not desire his baggage. Whatever the reason may be, the effects of not having another father leave a scar on a child for the remainder of his or her life. Children who grow up without a father or solid male figure in their life face many life impairing situations. Their psychological needs can’t be met on a personal or educational level. A study from Enzine Article shows that, “Children with a missing father are two times more likely to drop out of high school or obtain a higher education.” A college education can become problematic for a child without a father for two reasons.
He or she is likely to end up in trouble with the law than their peers without the proper support (Cowan, 2004, p. 1008). Like everything, this varies from case to case. Most adoptive parents tend to want younger children, not necessarily an infant, but one that is under 8 years of age. In most cases, older children that are closer to aging out of foster care have a harder time because of
But there is a big difference between using physical punishment to discipline and physical abuse. The point of disciplining children is to teach them right from wrong, not to make them live in fear. However, it is impossible to know whether marital strife is a cause of child abuse, or if both the marital strife and the abuse are caused by tendencies in the abuser. Substance abuse can be a major contributing factor to child abuse. One U.S. study found that parents with documented substance abuse, most commonly alcohol, cocaine, and heroin, were much more likely to mistreat their children, and were also much more likely to reject court-ordered services and treatments (Besharov, 1990).
The Impact of Divorce on Children Abstract The goal of this study is to determine the psychological effects divorce has on children. Most of our society, through the media, believes that divorce has both a short-term and long-term impact on children. Children of divorce parent have a strained relationship with their parents and other nuclear family members, which can lead to unusual stress that interferes with their normal development. Through this study, I will analyze scientific research on the negative impact divorce has on children. With the research, hopefully it can be determined if adverse effects can mitigate with interventions and a positive relationship with both parents being maintained.
Children are affected by the divorce more if the parents have custody hearings or move away from each other. The decision to terminate an unhappy marriage through obtaining a divorce is almost never an easy decision. It is usually reached only after other options and alternatives have been carefully considered and then rejected as non-viable