Divorce : The Effects Of The Extended Family Life Cycle

Most people don’t ever think that they will get a divorce but the reality is that almost half of marriages will end in divorce. Divorce is not a decision that is made or taken lightly; its effects on families are damaging and not to mention long lasting. The Oxford Dictionary (2017), describes divorce as “a legal decree dissolving a marriage by a court or other competent body”. When a couple decides to separate numerous aspects of their lives are affected. Divorce affects family dynamics, physically and emotionally health, education, finances, job stability, income potential, drug use and crime. Divorce does not simply affect the lives of families; it affects America as a whole religiously, economically, and it immensely impacts the lives of the children involved.

The statistics for divorce in the 1990's suggest that nearly sixty percent of marriages end in divorce. Given this startling figure, the assumption can be made that many children will experience some effects caused by the life-changing event called divorce. What is it exactly about divorce that causes negative consequences for these children? In what ways will these children be effected? Will these effects show outwardly? I will attempt to uncover some of the complexities surrounding these psychological questions in the following text. The unsettling fact is: young children of divorced parents face great psychological challenges due to the environmental conditions and changes associated with divorce (Wolchik and Karoly 45).

In Barbara Kingsolver’s Stone Soup, she discusses the topic of modern divorce and “nontraditional” families. Kingsolver provides insight on the personal experience of her divorce and why she currently views it differently. The author speculates why “broken” families face ridicule, giving examples of people desiring the perfect family, consisting of “Mom, Dad, Sis, and Junior” (Kingsolver). Relationships with friends during a divorce were also discussed in this article, explaining that they will remain supportive, and, after a given amount of time, will eventually start treating the affected person like their old selves. Despite problematic family affairs as a result of it, divorce should be looked upon as normal and acceptable

Kendra Randall Jolivet’s study was a study that involved the impact that divorce has on teenagers from the ages of thirteen to eighteen. Today divorce is looked at as another chance to happiness. During the 1950s, divorce was based on what a spouse did wrong. The spouse had to prove the other spouse of being guilty of committing a marital offense. “There was a strong belief at the time that children from broken homes were at the risk of school failure, delinquency,and psychological disorders” (Jolivet, 2009). As divorce has become more common,

There is a great epidemic in the world today it’s called divorce. Divorce has affected so many families but most of all the children. “What may offer humanizing freedom for parents may be dehumanizing void for children.”( Root, A. 2010) Do you know why divorce is dehumanizing? “When dehumanization is in play there is little, if any consideration of the impact their betrayal will have on their mate.”(Reynolds,n.d.) According to Andrew Root divorce has deep and long lasting effects on children because it undermines a child’s ontological security. The divorce rate in the United States is the highest in the world. Over fifty percent of marriages end up in divorce.(Corcoran,K.O. 1994). Psychological and Emotional aspects of divorce.) What I’m going

Megan is a member of a single parent household following her parent 's divorce when she was young. As Megan grew more comfortable with me throughout the semester, I was able to gain insight from her about the characteristics of a family who has gone through the divorce and remarriage process. In class, we spent a great deal of time discussing the topic of a change in

The rapid epidemic of divorce in the United States within the last 20 years has affected more than one half of the families in the United States. In the past, we have viewed divorce as a short term crisis and not as a longitudinal view of the effects divorce might bring. Divorce does affect children. However, it is not the divorce that is the problem; it is the ongoing conflict between the parents and the child’s coping mechanisms in their own stages of development. Counseling, family therapy, and also having a divorce mediation are all successful ways of coping with the family.

Rainbow Rowell, in Eleanor and Park, tackles the issue of divorce and blended families. When looking at Eleanor’s life we can see how this issue affected her. Eleanor had decreased self-confidence, trust issues, social instability, confusion about the future, fear of rejection, and loss of her paternal relationships and figures (Rowell, 2013). This issue of divorce is so prominent in the United States and affects one million young adults every year (Block & Spiegel, 2017). Divorce can affect all family members of all ages, yet young adults are at such a pivotal age of development that the effects affect who they are becoming as a person.

Through out this discussion the reader has seen the effects of divorce on children. These effects are primarily shown in three areas of the childrens lives. These three areas are emotionally, physically, and

"Just Whom Is This Divorce 'Good For?'." Family in Society: Essential Primary Sources. Ed. K. Lee Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 74-78. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.

Johnson et al. also conforms another task which is to form intimate and differentiated relationships with peers. They are also jointing the workforce and developing working identity and gaining financial independence. However, according to Hughes (n.d) the emotional turmoil of their parents’ divorce can make it difficult for them to focus on a career or form friendships. Hughes added that making life-altering decisions in this stage of the life cycle can be extremely difficult for the men and women of divorce.

Amato, Paul R. "The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children." Journal of Marriage and the Family 62.4 (2000): 1269-87.

In the last two decades divorce has increased substantially leaving couples single and families broken. Divorce is the reality for many families as there is an increase in divorce rates, cohabitation rates, and the number of children raised in step and single marital families. Divorce cannot be overlooked as it negatively affects and impacts youngsters for the rest of their lives. Although it is the decision between two parents’s children are hurt the most in the process. The concept of divorce is extremely difficult for children to understand as there are many unanswered questions and uncertainties. “Will my mom or dad remarry and who will I live with?” are concerns children express while going through divorce. Many

Harvey and Fine say, in their book on the effects of divorce on children, that divorce has increased at a “contagious rate since 1980.” They argue that divorce in America is a “cultural burden of vast proportions,” and insist that the “pain extends beyond the persons who dissolve their relationships to children, parents, and dear friends.” Harvey and Fine

Divorce is a plague that is destroying numerous families across the United States of America. Sadly, when husbands and wives divorce, the children are often caught directly in the middle. Throughout the years divorce has been becoming more and more common. In the 1920's it was a rare find to know a person whom had been divorced, today it is a rarity not to know of one who has been, or will be divorced. Divorce has numerous effects on the structures of families, and many devastating effects on the children that must experience it, although sometimes necessary, divorce radically changes the lives of adolescents and adults alike.