Implications of Divorce on Children - Research Proposal Example

Implications of divorce on children’s of divorce intimate relationships The society has been characterized by an increased prevalence of divorce, an element that researchers have found to affect the relationship between parents after separation, and has had implications on intimate relationships of children of divorce. A great deal of evidence reveals that the attitudes and choices made by children of divorce towards their partners are more dependent on elements inspired by their parents’ separation. The proposed study will examine the relationship between divorce and outcomes of relationships of children of divorce. Literature related to the research topic will be examined, synthesized and critically evaluated. The paper will share the methodology featured in the study in terms of research techniques, participants, procedures and data analysis. The paper will examine how the results will be handled and used to address the implications of divorce upon the outcomes of intimate relationships of children of divorce. Keywords: Divorce, children of divorce, divorced parents, parent-child communication. Introduction In a society founded upon family institutions and their values, there have been social and moral disruptions that have had potential to alter relationships between couples and their children, and divorce has been an area of concern. Divorce rates in the society have hit all time high leaving families shattered and disintegrated, and has proved to have significant implications upon the families and most importantly, the children (Churchill, 2012). Researchers have cited trends revolving around divorce, and have tried to establish key causes and studies have been keen to identify consequences that come with separation of parents. Parental separation divorce has been found to affect children in many areas; childhood becomes different, adolescence is different, and adulthood is never the same especially in decisions regarding romantic relationships (Walerstain, Lewis, & Blakeslee, 2000). The separation of parents alters parent-child communication is affected leaving a gap that affects the kids negatively. Communication is vital for healthy interaction between individuals (Waisbord, 2015). Divorces have had emotional consequences on children affecting their partnership outcomes at age 30 (Fergusson, Mcleod, & Horwood, 2014). The tendency to engage in divorce is more of an element that could be a consequent attribute of having experienced divorce in their family (Amato, 2000). This paper will critically review related literature and analyze and synthesize relevant concepts offered by previous studies. Their findings, methodological issues and shortcomings will be addressed with respect to the research hypothesis and research question. The paper will describe the methods to use in the research study in qualitative and quantitative study. The paper will define variables of the study and describe the participants and procedures involved. The paper will share a description of the proposed analysis of the data realized after the study. Literature review Previous studies and researches related to the research topic provide an insight on the depth of the subject matter, illuminating the outcomes of divorce upon the future relationships of children who are exposed to such separations. David M. Fergusson and others share their findings and results of a research they conducted to investigate if children exposed to divorce in their childhood would have relationship problems in their adulthood. (Fergusson, Mcleod, & Horwood, 2014). They use their research skills to examine a sample of more than 900 children in New Zealand. The participants would feature children and adults up to age 30. They feature a variety of methods in data collection and target a cohort of 1265 children born in the region of 1977 in Christchurch New Zealand. Fergusson and colleagues skillfully base their data collection as tailored by these elements; the timing of separation and incidences of divorce since birth up to 15 years of age, partnership outcomes for individuals between 16 and 30 years of age where the participants share information about information on the number of relationships they have had, incidences of changed behavior among partners, incidences of inter-partner violence, and potential covariate factors (Fergusson, Mcleod, & Horwood, 2014). The findings reveal a close association between the two elements; exposure to divorce at childhood and relationship outcomes at adulthood. Children who suffer these events at their early stages of life happen to have negative partner relations and separation is an overrated option among them in many occasions. Fergusson and peers establish that some elements that that come with childhood parental separation have serious implications on the romantic relationships of these children (Fergusson, Mcleod, & Horwood, 2014). Though they include some covariate factors, Fergusson and others do not establish any other element that would provoke adults exposed to divorce at child to have a need to separate with their partners. Their study is restricted to exposure to divorce at childhood and the direct association with romantic decisions made by the participants of this study. There is a great deal of factors that would push individuals and couples and see them experience negative relationship partnerships. Amber Ottaway also examines the impact of parental divorce on intimate relationships upon the adults exposed to events of divorce at their childhood (Ottaway, 2010). She bases her case on available literature and studies related to the topic drawing inspirations from recorded findings and results. She considers United States as a good case study where most marriages are ending up in divorce. She cites post-divorce lifestyle and points out that separation poses some implication upon parents, and most significantly upon children, whose age shapes the nature of such implications. She underscores the fact that researchers are ignoring the long term effects of divorce upon adults. Amber insists that children of divorce experience emotional intimacy issues and have a negative anticipation towards their own relationships which they tend to project as having the potential to end in divorce. Such a mindset affects their decisions in the event of relationship difficulties (Ottaway, 2010). Amber bases her argument on a number of factors that she cites as having effects upon intimate relationships of children of divorce. She considers age as a factor that shapes many people’s future intimate relationships. Younger children of divorce may not be conscious of the extent of the situation, thus Amber establishes that some studies have found them less affected by divorce unlike those who are grown and aware of the situation (Christensen & Brooks, 2001). She then underscores there is an age bracket that is young yet conscious and would need help to cope with the event of a divorce. Lack of support mechanisms in the society for such victims affects their life in the long run and has troubled intimate relationships in the future. She considers another variable in the form of the gender of the child of divorce. Females are more likely to cut contact with their fathers, an element that subjects them to insecurity. The insecurity experienced leads them to seek intimate relationships as they experience a fear of abandonment at the same time (Conway, Christensen, & Herlihy, 2003). Males on the contrary are less likely to marry and tend to avoid intimacy (Ottaway, 2010). Though she goes into details of already established studies, Amber doesn’t have a firsthand experience with children of divorce. A detailed firsthand research would back up her arguments rather than base it on already established findings and results that would prove faulty relative to real events in the society as far as divorce is concerned. The paucity of research and literature investigates and weighs the implication of divorce on the outcomes of intimate relationships of children who have experienced divorce in their lives. Methods Study 1 will be based on qualitative research data so as to seek richer and deeper information regarding the research topic. Direct and one on one interaction with the individuals will provide new insights on the subject matter as the topics will be explored in depth. The methods of data collection in this area will include interviews, observations and focus groups. Study 2 will be based on quantitative research data that will supplement data gathered through qualitative research. Data and generalized results will be quantified to measure the incidences and magnitude of various views from the sample of concern. Statistical information will be gathered through surveys that will be issued to the respondents. Tracking will be used to monitor the behavior of divorce children and the outcome of the relationships statistically. Variables The proposed study will focus on the primary variable that will entail establishing the implications of divorce on intimate relationships of adult children of divorce, and will consider secondary variables that are affiliated with divorce. The secondary variables will complement the primary variable in answering the research question. These variables include the macro and macro factors contributing to divorce, the effects of divorce on the couples, and the effects of divorce on children based on their age and gender. In addition, these also comprises part of the variables, the attitude towards divorce among children of divorce, attitude towards intimate relationships among children of divorce, the number of intimate relationships already established by a victim of divorce, and the general question whether participants would consider divorce as solution for unhappy couples. Participants The research study will feature and target males and females from divorced families. The target sample will be between 7 and 30 years of age. The samples will be realized from elementary schools, high schools and higher institutions. Religious centers and workplaces will offer sample sources. Researchers who have done related studies shall be interviewed as well. Procedure The entire research would involve a time frame of 12 months. Questionnaires will be issued to respondents at mid-day breaks, lunch-hour breaks and after classes in the evening. That would also apply even in the religious centers where the target sample would be reached during their free time. Other questionnaires would be issued thorough mails and post offices. Interviews would be conducted in closed locations while open interviews would be conducted in the public hall for the willing participants. The progress of the participants would be established through tracking. The time frame meant for the study would reveal trends, patterns and outcomes of the relationships. Surveys would be conducted to reveal statistics regarding divorce cases. Working closely with relevant authorities would reveal more statistics kept by the government. Interpretation and analysis The data collected will be inspected, transformed and modeled to discover useful information related to the research topic. The reliability and credibility of the data will be examined. Quantitative data will be examined to derive descriptive statistics from it. The distribution of key variables will be analyzed to see how they connect with the research questions. Inferential statistics shall be used to measure relationships between various variables. Regression analysis will be used to illuminate the relationship between the primary variables. Qualitative data will be cleaned and synthesized for use in addressing the research topic. Prepositions will be developed through conclusions and verifications. Results Systematic integration and constant comparison of analyzed data will be done to create a concrete picture of the topic hypothesis and research question. This will establish the implications of divorce on intimate relationships of children of divorce. Previous studies on the topic will provide bases for comparison and help establish reliable results that will be shared with the public and be used to prevent divorce among couples and help extend the relevant support and assistance to children of divorce. REFERENCES Amato, P. (2000). The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children. Journal of Marriage and the Family,, (62) pg 1269-1287. Christensen, T., & Brooks, M. (2001). Adult Children of Divorce and Intimate Relationships: A Review of the Literature. Family Journal, 9, 289-294. Churchill, P. F. (2012, Jan 11th). The Effects of Divorce on Children . Retrieved April 18th, 2015, from http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF12A22.pdf Conway, M., Christensen, T., & Herlihy, B. (2003). Adult Children of Divorce and Intimate Relationships: Implications for counseling. Family Journal, 11, 364-373. Fergusson, D. M., Mcleod, G., & Horwood, J. (2014). Parental separation divorce in childhood and partnership outcomes at age 30. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, 352-360. Ottaway, A. (2010). The Impact of Parental Divorce on the Intimate Relationships of Adult Offspring: A Review of the Literature. Graduate Journal of Counseling Psychology, 36-50. Waisbord, S. (2015). Being a good parent in parent-teacher conferences. Journal of communication, 65:2 pg 6-11. Walerstain, J. S., Lewis, J. M., & Blakeslee, S. (2000). The unexpected legacy of divorce: A 25-year Landmark Study. New York: Hyperion. Read More