Causes and Effects of Divorce on Children
Thu Nguyen
ENGWR 102
Professor Traci L. Gourdline
Cause and Effect Essay Final Draft
The Effects of Divorce on Children
According to statistics about divorce and children, half of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage. Of all children born to married parents this year, fifty percent will experience the divorce of their parents before they reach their eighteenth birthday. The parents’ divorce marks a turning point in children’s lives even if it happened many years ago or is taking place right now. Parents usually divorce when they feel they can no longer live together because of fighting and anger, or their love for each other has changed. Another reason for divorce is when a parent falls in love with someone else. Sometimes it is due to serious problems such as drinking, spousal abuse, or gambling addiction. In some cases nothing bad happens, but parents just decide to split up. Parental divorce is a very stressful event for all children, in spite of their age or developmental stage; therefore, many of them are not completely prepared for it. Consequently, divorce can have an important and life changing impact on the well-being and development of children.
One important effect that divorce has is the increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems in children. First of all, children from divorced families are likely to experience loneliness and insecurity. For instance, they may feel that they have been abandoned or rejected by their parents. They may also worry that either their parents will no longer want to be with them or that unfortunate things may happen to them in the future. Furthermore, children who have seen their parents break up may also struggle with low self-esteem. Those children believe that they are the cause of their parents’ divorce, and they build up a deep sense of guilt and shame. Even though it is clearly not their fault, they will keep blaming themselves for something that they have done or said.
ENGWR 102
Professor Traci L. Gourdline
Cause and Effect Essay Final Draft
The Effects of Divorce on Children
According to statistics about divorce and children, half of all American children will witness the breakup of a parent’s marriage. Of all children born to married parents this year, fifty percent will experience the divorce of their parents before they reach their eighteenth birthday. The parents’ divorce marks a turning point in children’s lives even if it happened many years ago or is taking place right now. Parents usually divorce when they feel they can no longer live together because of fighting and anger, or their love for each other has changed. Another reason for divorce is when a parent falls in love with someone else. Sometimes it is due to serious problems such as drinking, spousal abuse, or gambling addiction. In some cases nothing bad happens, but parents just decide to split up. Parental divorce is a very stressful event for all children, in spite of their age or developmental stage; therefore, many of them are not completely prepared for it. Consequently, divorce can have an important and life changing impact on the well-being and development of children.
One important effect that divorce has is the increased risk of emotional and behavioral problems in children. First of all, children from divorced families are likely to experience loneliness and insecurity. For instance, they may feel that they have been abandoned or rejected by their parents. They may also worry that either their parents will no longer want to be with them or that unfortunate things may happen to them in the future. Furthermore, children who have seen their parents break up may also struggle with low self-esteem. Those children believe that they are the cause of their parents’ divorce, and they build up a deep sense of guilt and shame. Even though it is clearly not their fault, they will keep blaming themselves for something that they have done or said.