In the past few decades, the United States has seen a rapid increase in incidences of divorce. It is also common in other developed countries such as England and the rest of the U.K., where collaborating using Peters And May has been the most frequently taken recourse. So much so, that divorce has become a matter of national concern. That is because divorce does not only affect the couple. More often than not, divorce can affect your child in the most brutal way.
How Divorce Can Affect Your Child
Continuous and even violent marital conflicts, if not resolved, can lead to the destruction of the marriage eventually.
But divorce does not only destroy the couple–it creates severe instability in the family as well as uncertainty in a child.
The most common consequences of divorce are poor parent-child relationships, split families and broken homes, and economic deprivation.
Moreover, enormous conflicts in the home can create a circumstance where children experience learning disabilities.
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Their interpersonal functions are the primary target. Below, let’s discuss some short-term as well as the long-term impacts of divorce on children.
Short-Term Effects of Divorce on Children
The secure marriage of their parents gives children a sense of security as well.
On the other hand, kids who observe their parents going through a divorce usually get disturbed by the thought of not seeing their parents together again.
These are some of the following short-term impacts of divorce on children:
Anxiety
The separation of parents usually causes the child to become nervous, tensed, and anxious.
It is a fact that little children are more prone to these mental disorders than adult children because they are completely dependent on their parents.
An anxious child will find it difficult to concentrate on his studies and can lose interest in co-curricular activities.
Continuous Stress
The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry has revealed that many children think that they are the reason behind their parents’ divorce.
This may lead to massive tension and pressure on their still maturing mind, which can have numerous disastrous aftermaths. They may become pessimistic and even have nightmares. The worse thing is, they might become delinquent citizens.
Mood Swings and Bad Temper
While the divorce is going on until it is finalized, the child usually gets to witness the tension or even violence in the home.
They may suffer from mood swings and become short-tempered even while conversing with familiar people.
- Related: Tips to Make Your Home Cozy for Kids
There are instances when some kids go into withdrawal mode. They stop conversing with anybody and usually shut themselves in their bedroom.
Extreme Sadness
Due to their physiology, severe sadness rushes throughout the hearts and minds of adolescents. They feel that nothing good is happening in their lives and they may eventually sink into depression.
Eventually, they will grow into wounded adults with so many hang ups in life.
Disillusionment and Sorrow
Kids of the divorced couple usually feel hopeless and disappointed. That is because they do not have enough emotional support from their parents.
The situation becomes worse when children are taken care of by just a single parent with no way of conversing with the other parent. Their relationship then becomes estranged.
Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Children
Short-term impacts of divorce can hinder a child’s psychological and emotional growth.
But these short-term effects can also lead to long-term effects if they are not address. Let’s take a look at them below.
Behavioral and Social Troubles
The young children who are products of broken families have a great risk of developing antisocial and violent behavior.
They may start with losing their temper at small things. Eventually, they will not hesitate with assaulting someone when agitated. All these can lead to the growth of a criminal mindset, especially in their teenage years.
Trouble with Relationships
When kids grow up seeing their parents fight constantly and eventually see the marriage fail, they may develop doubts about harmony and love in any relationship.
Moreover, they may develop trust issues and find it difficult to resolve conflict in their own relationship. They usually go into a relationship with a pessimistic mindset.
Prone to Drug Abuse
Teenagers or even young adults are more likely to use drugs and alcohol to vent out their frustration and anxiety when their parents get divorced.
Long-term substance abuse has detrimental impacts on the well-being of a developing teenager’s brain and body. They badly need help because they can become social deviants if they are not treated. Arista Recovery can help children navigate this very fragile line and enable them to become functional adults.
Depression
The agony and heartbreak of divorce can make a child slip into depression.
Depression is a mental illness and kids who are forced to deal with their parents’ divorce have higher chances of getting depressed. They will also experience social removal.
Recent researches show that divorce can be a causal factor in cases of bipolar disorder in young children.
Poor Education and Socio-economic Situation
The unpleasant emotional, mental, and psychological effects of divorce may reduce a child’s interest in education.
They show a radical drop in their academic performance, which further hampers their career prospects. With the lack of education, it may be hard for them to achieve a decent socio-economic status.
In conclusion: Which is Better?
Divorce has been proven detrimental to children’s mental as well as physical health.
However, despite my faith, I am not really advocating staying in a marriage if the couple is not willing to work on it anymore.
If you come to think of it, sometimes separated parents are much better than conflicting parents living together. It’s not a surprise anymore because in this imperfect world, it’s just the way things are.
If you are one of those who are experiencing extreme marital conflicts and you would like the best guidance about what to do, seek the services of a marriage counselor.
Or you may contact a lawyer as soon as possible. It is best for everyone involved when the conflicts are resolved early on.
Once a couple parted ways Ang pinaka kawawa ay Ang mga anak. Napaka Bata pa Nila para intindihin Ang nangyari between their parents. Nakakalungkot Kasi nag sa suffer Ang Bata naiipit between their parents. Anjan pa ung hiwahiwalay Ang Ibang Bata Kasi ung Isa dun sa Mother. While ung Isa sa father . ganun. Para hinahati. Ayaw ko po Yun maranasan Ng mga anak ko🙏
Isa tlaga sa maapektuhan kapag broken ang mga parents ay ang mga anak. Naapektuhan sila emotionally at physically. Kaya maraming mga bata ang nag rerebelde kapag broken Family.
Alam ko ang pakiramdam kapag naghiwalay ang mga magulang,hiwalay kasi mga magulang ko sa murang edad naming magkakapatid nagka watak watak kami iba iba ng dinaanang deriksyon sa buhay. Mga anak talaga ang pinaka mahihirapan kapag nag hiwalay ang mga magulang.
Malaking epekto talaga sa mga bata pag part sila ng broken family hindi lang Pag-uugali nila ang naaapektuhan pati na din ang kanilang emosyon.😔😔
Very informative post po talaga ito Mommy Sig. Isa po talaga ito sa mga topic na dapat pinagtutuusan ng pansin dahil madami ang nakakaranas ng ganitong sitwasyon. Thanks for sharing po.