Divorce's Impact on Preschool, School Age, and Adolescent Children - Outline - Assignment Example

Divorce's Impact on Preschool, School Age, and Adolescent Children - Outline Divorce that entails separation of parents or couples due to certain unresolved disagreements is a universal social phenomenon. Every society across the world has experienced and handled divorce cases. Divorce can occur due many reasons such as recurrent conflicts that may either involve repeated physical abuse of one partner, unending quarrels and discrimination against partners or even scramble for control of family resources and finances by individual partners. Besides leading to sad degradation of already started family, divorce also has the impact of causing psychological and physical problems to children of the affected family. Lately, North America has witnessed escalation in divorce cases. Researchers conducted on effects of such divorces have proved that divorce has negative impacts on the general health of children. The magnitude or severity of the impacts of divorce on children usually varies with age of the individual affected children. This is true considering the variation in emotional and stress management skills across the different ages as children grow. Even though familiar within societies, divorces are reducible and avoidable through effective and timely counseling of the threatened families. In the same manner, it is possible to reduce effects and severity of divorce on children and the affected partners to ensure healthy and peaceful continuity. Divorce affects preschoolers, school age and adolescent students in different ways. Preschoolers are children between 2 and 6 years old. With consideration to Cognitive Development Theory, children with the age bracket are usually in the preoperational stage where they explore and learn many things within the environment (Carr, 2000). Children in this stage require significant attachment to the parents to provide security and protection as they explore new things. Much of the experienced gained at this stage of development tend to stick and last longer in the brain of the child. In that line, negative experiences as divorce or even the events preceding divorce are likely to hurt psychological development of a child. A child who sees the parents fighting every day before divorce is likely to suffer from sadness and somberness. Separation of parents may also affect the attachment relationship that a child might have developed with one of the parents. For instance, a male preschooler child may have strong attachment to the father than mother. In the case of separation, court or the couple decide that the child be in custody of the mother to receive better care. This can compromise psychological and socio-emotional development of such a child. In the same manner, a female child might also have stronger attachment to the mother than the father (Cavanaugh & Kail, 2013). Leaving such a child under the custody of the father may affect their confidence and courage that may in turn Even though divorce affects preschoolers, school age and adolescent children differently, the some effects of the same are similar in certain ways. Some behaviors and conducts of some people within our societies may be abnormal and disgusting to warrant restlessness and worries among the surrounding people. Most of the behaviors are psychological and are explainable using various psychological theories and reasoning. This is to say that no human behaviors or conducts that seem problematic and disturbing can lack psychological solution(s). Parents tend to suffer stress when their children exhibit inferior and usually unwanted conducts as they grow (Ungar, 2011). In most cases, parents have misunderstood their children and adopted wrong approaches in attempt to solve particular developmental problem(s) evident in their children. Wise parents have sought help of religious leaders, teachers and professional psychologists some of whom have helped in solving and encountering otherwise daunting problems in their children. As a psychologist and approached by a parent who rails over of lack of ambition and drive in their 8 years old child who always wants to play video games, there are many techniques to apply and help reinforce normalcy. Counselor dealing with case as described above should devise separate counseling session between the parent and the son. Doing so will help avoid situation where the son realizes that the dissatisfaction of the parent with the latter’s behavior as would happen in the case of a collective counseling. In counseling the son, child psychologist should inquire from the child the nature of the preferred game(s) and reasons for loving such games. The counselor should then persuade the child about the importance of practicing the given game in reality (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2013). For instance, if the game concerns racing cars or automotives, the counselor should consult with the child about acquiring a real machine and try engaging in practical game. This may help diverge or reduce attention of the child from the virtual video game. If successful, the counselor should encourage the child to continue with physical game and even advice parent to register the son in any club associated with the given game(s) of preference. The counselor should also encourage the parent to support the son in all aspects to ensure significant diversion from video games by attending occasions when the son is playing or performing the preferred game (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2013). References Brooks, G. R., & Good, G. E. (2001). The New Handbook of Psychotherapy and Counseling with Men : A Comprehensive Guide to Settings, Problems, and Treatment Approaches. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass. Carr, A. (2000). Family Therapy : Concepts, Process, and Practice. Chichester: Wiley. Cox, W., & Klinger, E. (2004). Handbook of Motivational Counseling : Concepts, Approaches, and Assessment. Chichester, West Sussex, England: J. Wiley. Kail, R. & Cavanaugh, J. (2013). Human Development: A Life-Span View. 6th Ed. Belmont; CA: Cengage Learning. Ungar, M. (2011).Counseling in Challenging Contexts: Working With Individuals and Families Across Clinical and Community Settings. Belmont; CA: Cengage Learning. Read More