Divorce is best described as a process of change which extends over time and across a number of areas of family functioning. In divorce, there are differences in both family processes and in the children's accommodation to change. There is a definite relationship between divorce and some psychological problems among children of divorced families. The relationship between divorce and children's adjustment sparked theories that focus solely on the developmental importance of a healthy family structure. There are six basic areas of human functioning that researchers feel are effected by the divorce of a child's parents early in life. They are (1) the increased use of mental health services; (2) externalizing problems, such as delinquency, aggression, and disobedience; (3) internalizing problems, including depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem; (4)intellectual and academic functioning; (5) pro-social skills; and (6) functioning during adult life.

Utilization of Mental Health Services

There are at least two broad reasons that the research on the relation between parental divorce and the utilization of

mental health services is significant. First, the use of such services is an impor

On a personal note, I feel I am a great source of information when it comes to divorce. My parents divorced when I was eight years old, and both remarried within the following five years. In terms of behavioral problems, I don't think I was affected much. But my brother, who is five years younger than me, has always experienced problems with authority, both at school and at home. Whether or not there is a direct link between his behavioral problems and our parents' divorce is debatable, but according to the information I have found on the subject, the likelihood is high. I do not feel that my parents' divorce affected me academically either. I have performed well in school all my life, despite what may have been going on at home and with my family situation. Again, my brother and I differ here. He has always had mediocre to low grades in school, and has never shown much interest in his academic future. Over the last two years, however, he has shown dramatic improveme!

The observation that children from single-parent families were over-represented among delinquents implies that divorce causes externalizing problems early in life (e.g., Glueck and Glueck, 1950). Psychoanalytic and social learning studies theories suggest that fathers play a central role in the moral development of their sons. According to these theories, children who were not living with their fathers because of separation, divorce, death, or out-of-wedlock birth were considered to be more likely to present delinquent habits. In a non-clinic study of four- to six-year-olds, researchers found that children whose parents were divorced were more demanding, disobedient, aggressive, and lacking in self-control than those of two-parent households (Zill 1978).

Spitz, R.A. (1954). Review of Children of Divorce., Psychoanal. Q., 453-459.

The area that I feel I am most effected in deals with my relationships with people. Regardless of how well someone will treat me, there is always that lingering fear that they will leave for some reason or another. No amount of promising or attention will usually convince me otherwise. Though I don't feel that it was his fault, my dad was unable to live near to us for a couple of years after the divorce due to his job. I definitely think that is the link to my issues dealing with abandonment or loss.

A study of children living in two-parent families was conducted by Block and Morrison in 1981 (Furman 1991). In this study, a measure of parental agreement of child-rearing practices (completed when the children were 3 years old) showed lower levels of aggression among boys at ages three, four, and seven, whereas agreement tended to be associated with higher levels of externalizing among girls. Higher levels of disagreement predicted some increases in social competence among girls but not among boys. The results of this study are known as the "growing up faster" hypothesis. When conflict arises between parents, this study shows that girls usually respond to the stress with increased pro-social behavior, while boys respond with increased aggression. Increased social competence and maturity are often found in children of divorced parents, but this is not necessarily a positive outcome in the long run.

Salk, Dr. Lee. (1978). What Every Child Would Like Parents to Know About Divorce. New York, NY: Harper and Row, Publishers.

Staal, Stephanie. (2000). The Love They Lost. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

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These figures must be interpreted with some caution because mental health contacts, as well as the mothers' views on the need for professional help, are potentially biased indicators. However, Salle also found that teachers rated children from separated and divorced families as showing more aggressive behavior than those whose parents had "very happy" marriages. Children whose parents had "fairly happy" marriages, in tu

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