Effects of Divorce on Children - Research Paper Example

Effects of Divorce on Children I. Introduction Divorce is a social problem that affects many families across the world, especially children. Divorce is the process of terminating a marriage between couples. This is usually a traumatizing process for families, causing social emotions among all the members of the family. The process starts with the dissatisfaction of one or both couples. The parties who are dissatisfied then go to court to file a divorce case. The party or parties seeking divorce may have to wait for a long time, sometimes up to two years before their wish is granted. During this time, parents and their children undergo repressed emotional energy. According to McKinley Irvin (2012), 50% of marriages in United States end in divorce. This includes 41% of the first marriages, 6o% of second marriage, and 73% of third marriages. The statistics for divorce prevalence can be summarized in the table below: Category Value First marriages 41% Second Marriages 60% Third Marriages 73% Age 30 Years before remarrying 3 Divorce per hour 100 This shows that the social problem of divorce is highly prevalent in USA. Similarly, divorce in England and Whales also show alarming rates. The Guardian (2012) suggests that 13 divorces occur per hour England and whales. 48% percent of couples divorcing in England and Whales had at least one child under the age of 16. Statistics also show that 42% of marriages in England and Whales end up in divorce. This shows that divorce is a serious problem not only to USA but also to other countries of the world. Therefore, this topic needs a thorough research. The most affected people in a divorce process are children. Divorcing parents often try to shield their children from the effects of divorce. However, children end up in emotional disturbance. This research will identify the effects of divorce on children based on sociology and emotions theories. It will identify the stress that children undergo due to divorce. II. Research Questions The research question is, “How does divorce affect children?” This question will provide guidance for the research to identify the possible effects of divorce on children. There are some assumptions which people usually take for granted. One of the assumptions is that children are too young to understand what is going on with their divorcing parents. Another assumption is that divorcing parents can shield their children from emotional stress. The last assumption is that social problems can be solved through acculturation. III. Literature Review There are various researches that show the effects of divorce on children. One of the literatures is that of Pickhardt (2013). The article sought to address the effect of divorce on small children. Pickhardt (2013) suggests that children react to parental divorce in different ways depending on their age. However, divorce causes massive changes to children regardless of their age. According to Pickhardt, there are various ways in which divorce can create challenging family circumstances for the children. Such effects include loss of love from parents, stress of going from one household to another, emotional instability of having one parent away from home, and regressive response by the child. The second piece of literature on the topic is the study by Marsha et al (1991). This study was intended to determine the direct and indirect influences of divorce on children’s behaviour and emotional adjustment (Marsha et al, 1991). The research indicates that marital discord causes both direct and indirect effects on emotional adjustments of children. The study suggests that parents who had more conflicts in marriage tend to cause poorer emotional adjustments than parents with fewer conflicts. The study also indicated that parents with higher conflict in marriage and after divorce cause more behavioral problems in children within two years after marriage. Divorce causes a negative relationship between one or both of the parents and the child; hence causing behavioral problems among children of divorced parents. Another study by Coltrane and Adams (2003) draws on the sociology of knowledge and social constructionist approach to study the social problem of divorce. The study sought to examine how social science experts present children as the victims of divorce, among other aspects of divorce. The study contends that divorce has created hardships for children who are the key victims of the social problem. This study defines the sociology of knowledge as the social origins of knowledge, and that truth is an essential element of historical and social processes. It also defines knowledge construction as an operation of power and politics. This study argues that the problem of divorce has been constructed since the 19th century to place the child in a victimized position. In this case, knowledge is constructed to protect interests of family moralists who advocate for the upholding of the traditional nuclear family. Dronkers (1999) also provides the effects of conflicts and divorce between parents on the wellbeing of their school-going children. This study defines wellbeing in terms of several indicators: use of drugs to relief stress, illness, violence and crime, social failure, and depression. The study found out that the well being of children living with conflicting parents is less than the wellbeing of children living with single mothers. This indicates that it is better for a child to live with a single divorced parent than to live in a family with conflicting parents; hence it is important for conflicting parents to divorce. DeBord (1997) also offers a good perspective of the effects of divorce on children. This piece of literature provides that parents who are undergoing divorce problems wish to protect their children from the same stress that they are going through. DeBord (1997) argues that children of divorcing parents get stress due to the knowledge that the family they have gotten used to are going apart. According to DeBord, other effects of divorce on children include loss of attachment, parents’ hostility, and fear of being abandoned. This article suggests that infants and toddlers may not understand the conflict between their parents, but they can react to the changes around them such as departure of a parent, drop in the energy levels of a parent, and the level of activeness of parents. IV. Methodology The information used in this study has been obtained from various secondary sources. The researcher has located various online books, journal articles, websites and periodicals mainly from online libraries. Specifically, the researcher consulted JSTOR website for journal articles and books. V. Application of Theoretical Framework A wide range of sociological theories can be used to analyze the literature provided in this research. These theories include Symbolic Interaction Theory, Sheff theories of emotions, conflict theory and Functionalist theory. Mead/Shibutani: Symbolic Interaction Theory George Mead and Tamotsu Shibutani provided theories on social interaction. Mead’s theory on social psychology argues that group life is all about cooperative behavior. The cooperative behavior of humans is said to be psychologically determined and human patterns are not unstable. According to this theory, social cooperation in humans can only be achieved if each individual ascertains intentions of the acts of other members of the society and gives a response based on that intention. Cooperative action can therefore be achieved only if the parties concerned interpret gestures similarly and imagine issues in the same manner. In general, human interaction is based on consensus. This theory applies to the issue of divorce marriage brings about an interaction between husband, wife and children. This interaction can only be possible if the marriage partners come into consensus on all issues. If they do not develop similar gestures and imaginations, conflicts will occur and divorce will be necessary as suggested by (Dronkers, 1999). Consensus is therefore the only way for the husband, wife and children to interact positively and avoid conflicts that may result in divorce. Scheff Theories of Emotions One of the theories of emotions is Sheff’s theory of emotional distancing. This theory identifies three levels of emotional distance: underdistanced, esthetic distance, and over distanced. The underdistanced causes one to become out of control and completely overwhelmed by emotion – cannot control oneself. In this case, an individual is immersed in emotion and can show an overarching emotional expression. This situation may also lead to hysteria and compulsion, resulting in destructive behaviour. A person in esthetic distance has good self control and can express oneself well. It also involves self-acceptance and effective problem-solving. Lastly, over-distanced individual has an over-control of emotion and repression of esteem. This results in a rigid over-controlled behaviour and the individual normally feels nothing. This theory can be related to the effects of divorce on children. According to the literature, a child from divorced parents may develop behavioral problems (Marsha et al, 1991). This reflects the under-distanced emotional control. Functionalist theory This theory suggests that maintaining the status quo is a good way of enhancing an effectively functional society. In this case, people should conform to the norms of the society for the benefit of everyone, and for the society to function smoothly. Furthermore, social hierarchy is necessary for the society because it enables everyone to strive in order to go up the hierarchy. This theory also supports the laissez-faire of minimal government control. This theory supports the argument of Dronkers (1999) who suggests that divorce may result in positive wellbeing of children if the marriage of her parents is full of conflicts. This is because functional theory supports laissez-faire which leads to minimal control of marriages; parents can divorce if their marriage affects their children. Secondly, this theory also supports the argument by Coltrane and Adams (2003) that knowledge is constructed in the society to place a child in a victimized position in a society where people uphold the norm of nuclear family. This agrees with the functional theory which suggests that conforming to the norms of the society enhances smooth functioning of the society. VI. Discussion and Conclusion From this research, it is clear that divorce is a social problem that contributes to various effects on children. Children of divorced parents develop behavioural problems due to emotional distancing created by divorce. It also leads to victimization of children due to the destruction of societal norms by the divorcing parents. However, divorce may be necessary if the parents were in continuous conflicts during marriage because it improves the wellbeing of children in families with constant conflicts. VII. Hypotheses and Assumptions a. If parents who are not in serious conflict during marriage divorce, then the children will feel emotionally under-distanced and as a result they can develop behavioural problems. b. If the parents are in serious conflict during marriage and they choose to divorce, the wellbeing of their children will improve c. When parents divorce, then children will feel victimized and their wellbeing may deteriorate. d. To the extent that the divorced parents continue with their conflicts after divorce, then children will be emotionally disturbed and they may become reverent. VIII. Suggestions for possible solutions These effects can be resolved by avoiding divorce if the there are no serious conflicts between couples, and pursuing divorce if there are serious conflicts which are likely to affect the children. Avoiding divorce needs the consensus of parents as suggested by the social interaction theory. Couples should communicate with each other regularly and develop empathy to be able to understand the other party in order to come into consensus. Parents may also seek counseling every time they sense some conflicts that may cause divorce. References Coltrane, S. and Adams, M. (2003). The Social Construction of the Divorce "Problem": Morality, Child Victims, and the Politics of Gender. Family Relations, 52(4), 363-372. DeBord, K. (1997). The Effects of Divorce on Children. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Dronkers, J. (1999). The Effects of Parental Conflict and Divorce on the Well-Being of Pupils in Dutch Secondary Education. European Sociology Review, 15(2), 195-212. Marsha, K., Johnston, J.R. and Tschann, J.M. (1991). The Long Shadow of Marital Conflict: A Model of Childrens Postdivorce Adjustment. Journal of Marriage and Family, 53(2), 297-309. McKinley Irvin (2012). 32 Shocking Divorce Statistics. Accessed April 30, 2014 from http://www.mckinleyirvin.com/blog/divorce/32-shocking-divorce-statistics/. Meltzer, B.N. (1978). Symbolic Interaction: A Reader in Social Psychology, 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc. Pickhardt, C.E. (2013). Surviving Your Childs Adolescence. Wiley. The Guardian (2012). Divorce rates data, 1858 to now: how has it changed? Accessed April 30, 2014 from http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/jan/28/divorce-rates- marriage-ons Read More