EPM-4910-2 Research Practices and Applications

Green - 1

Assignment 2

For

EPM-4910-2 Research Practices and Applications

Crystal Green

University of Denver College

Date: April 12, 2015

Instructor: Sheila Summers

How does a divorce affect a child’s social, emotional and physical health? There are various reasons why divorce affects a child in each developmental area.Divorce can be a severe life transforming experience. As children they believe their parents will stay together forever. When their beliefs are shattered so is their world. Mainly not seeing their mother or father everyday as before contributes to the fear of both parents abandoning the child. This is the first impact of divorce children encounter.

Socially, children who experience the divorce of their parents generally are more likely to be aggressive have poorer relationships with same-age children, and have fewer close friends (Wallerstein, p. 75). Children may receive less parent supervision. As a result, they are influenced by their peers and this increases the chances of them getting involved in deviant behavior, including drugs, alcohol use and smoking (Wallerstein, p. 80).

Children of divorced parents are affected academically due to stress. Divorce is stressful on children and it’s challenging to concentrate on school work. Parents are less available to monitor their child’s performance in school due to less time and energy devoted to their children (Wallerstein, p. 81). Financial strain can cause families to live in particular neighborhoods where the schools programs are poorly financed (Wallerstein, p. 83).

Physical health is compromised from the effects of divorce. The immune system decreases from stress which causes frequent illnesses and recovery of sickness is slower (Wallerstein, p. 86). The reality of a child’s parents not married not only influences their childhood but adulthood as well.

As divorced parents, it’shard to remain consistent with their child after divorce for various reasons. So much changes from a whole family unit to a single family unit. Not being a consistent parent could result in children looking for affection in the wrong places. Children seek out attention to fill a void. Attention seeking could result in early sexual activity and early childhood pregnancy.

Children of divorced parents are at risk of suffering from physical, behavioral and psychological health problems. They are likely to develop anger problems, sadness, loneliness, disobedience and law violations. They are also more likely to suffer child abuse. Children of divorced parents become depressed and anxious. It is important for the parent to make the child feel loved and reassure the decision of divorce had nothing to with them.

Reference

Wallerstein, Judith. What are the possible consequences of divorce for children? Chap 10. 92. Accessed April 9, 2015.