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).

Parental conflict appears to have a pronounced effect on the coping efforts of children. The intense anxiety and anger between some parents in the early stages of divorce is real. Often times parents allow their children to get in the middle of fierce verbal confrontation between them. Berating the other parent in front of the child is another way of placing the child in an unfair position, which in essence is expecting the child to choose between the parents. A

Furstenberg, Frank F. “Children and family change: Discourse between social scientists and the media.” Contemporary Sociology. Jan 1999. 9pp. Online. umi Proquest direct. 24 May 1999.

Chronic disorganization and inconsistent parenting are contributing factors to the psychological adaptation of children. Parents may differ in opinion when it comes to child rearing. Consistency is the key to helping children adapt quickly with as few psychologically traumatic scars as possible. The consistency should be practiced in every aspect of the child’s life including: new stages of development (eating and drinking adult foods, potty training, sleeping in their own bed), discipline, “house rules” (showing respect towards others, sharing, eating at the dinner table), and routines (wake up and bed times, meal times, play times). Because parents may have different ideas of what consistency means and how children should be raised, it is often a difficult task for the custodial parent to help encourage positive and progressive development for the children.

I get to visit my father quite often. And Shaun. He’s my collie. My cat lives in New York with me and Mom. Whenever I talk with Daddy on the phone I can hear Shaun barking in the background. The hardest thing for me about visiting my father is when I have to leave, and that makes me feel bad—and mad—inside. I still wish I could see him every day like I did when I was little. It’s hard to live with just one person, because you don’t have enough company, though my Mom has lots of great baby-sitters and that helps a little. Patrick Kilpatrick is one of my sitters, and it’s comforting for me to have another guy around to do stuff with—like he takes me for rides on his bike and we play baseball together. We can do a lot more daredevil activities than I could ever do with my Mom. Patrick has never met my father, but sometimes we talk about him. He encourages me to talk about anything that’s troubling me and reminds me I have a lot to b!

Jekielek, Susan M. “Parental conflict, marital disruption and children’s emotional well-being.” Social Forces. Mar 1998. 16pp. Online. umi Proquest direct. 24 May 1999.

The deterioration in parent-child relationships after divorce is another leading cause in psychological maladjustment for children. With a divorce comes a parenting plan of some kind. A child may experi

Some common words found in the essay are:
Wolchik Karoly, Felner Terre, Mom Patrick, Interview Caleb, Divorce Children, Mom Whenever, Patrick Kilpatrick, Forces Mar, Sociology Jan, Jekielek Susan, wolchik karoly, adjustment period, children divorce, parental conflict, adjustment period children, custody children, 24 1999, parent-child relationships, intense anger, online umi proquest, times parents, awarded custody children, direct 24, proquest direct 24, umi proquest direct,
Approximate Word count = 1653
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)