Impact of Broken Family On children

Impact of Divorce on Children

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Impact of Divorce on Children Introduction From the mid 1980s to the present times, there has been a sharp increase in the divorce rates; resulting in a greater number of nontraditional and single-parent families. This article shall aim to highlight the impact of divorce on children. It has been observed that as compared to nuclear families, children belonging to broken families exhibit a host of behavioral trends which raise concerns regarding their emotional balance. There is doubt the little the fact that family composition plays a key role in a child’s development and well-being. Similarly, factors such as anti-social behavior and gender-role orientations are also affected by family structures. Children who have greater exposure to family conflicts or disrupted families are more prone to exhibit such behavior.

What different theories suggest?

Parents often serve as the primary and initial role model for their children. According to the social learning theory, parents act as reinforcement for their child’s behavior and assist in framing the response patterns of their children. The role and presence of parents is therefore essential as they act as parental models through which a child learns appropriate behavior. The same concept is also supported by a host of other theories including the confluence theory and other anthropological theories. In case of a divorce, children are forced to move away from the nuclear family structures which in turn pose problems in their development. For adolescents, the impacts are far more detrimental. In the absence of a single parent, specifically the father, a child is more prone to face problems associated with moral learning, cognitive development and conformity. While negative effects are observed because of any cause of parental absence, they are found to be more enhanced in cases of divorce, separation or even desertion.

Impact on boys and girls A few researches have also highlighted more severe consequences associated with such families and their children. These include antisocial behaviors, acute psychiatric disturbances and an inherent lower level of wellbeing as compared to those who belong to nuclear families.

These problems maybe more severe in case of boys; who tend to go through longer adjustment time period. For girls who belong to such families, the problems of increased anxiety levels, lower self esteem and greater incidences of self control loss are felt.

Conclusion Children who fall victim to parental conflicts are less attracted to their parents. Also, the kinship ties in such families are often restrained and hence the limited social relations of these children and their families are a major factor which inhibits their psychological well-being. In

Impact of Divorce on Children

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addition, children go through varying degrees of psychological traumas during or after their parents’ divorce which in turn influences their personalities.

Impact of Divorce on Children

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References http://www.researchomatic.com/the-impact-of-divorce-on-children-150879.html

Impact of Divorce on Children

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