Of course, the amount of transitions (the amount of divorce in the family) greatly increases the risk for children to settle in satisfying marriages and divorce themselves when young adults.
Protective factors reducing impact of divorce on children
The research question here is whether there are any factors that may be considered that are empirically proved to be able to mitigate the effect of divorce in children.
Within the last decade, researchers have identified various such factors each having a range of associated variables themselves.
1. Competent custodial parents and parenting: One of the best protective factors is the quality of parenting following divorce and the psychological adjustment of the custodial parents. Effective parental behavior such as warmth, nurturing, emotional support, authoritative discipline, and age appropriate behavior demonstrate the best means for providing emotional support for children as compared to parents who are withdrawn, inattentive and provide coercive discipline (Sandler et al., 2008).
2. Nonresident parents: Frequent contact with parents -- depending on the nature of the relationship with that parents, on the level of inter-parental conflict, and on the personality of that parents- may also mitigate effects of divorce. This is particularly so if the parent continues nurturing activities with the children (such as homework), practices authoritative discipline, and has appropriate expectations from the children.
Joint custody, compared to sole custody, also seems to work better for some children with children being better adjusted on multiple psychological factors regardless of parental conflict (Bausermann, 2002).
3. Low parental conflict: The level and intensity of parental conflict following divorce has an enormous corresponding effect on the children's psychological ability of adjustment. Co-parental relationship with both parents planning together for the future of the children and engaging in corroboration of schedules and activities also has a positive effect on post-divorce adjustment, although studies have found that parallel parenting in which low communication, low...
There is a typical decline in the standard of living of mother-headed families, for children of divorce, that often pushes them below the poverty level. A number of developmental problem, in children, are associated with a lack of economic resources. A child's nutrition and health may be negatively affected by economic hardship. Educational items such as: private lessons, educational toys, computers, and books are also often difficult for single-parent
Among the factors which this article elucidates are necessary to be considered, Hetherington et al. indicate that "the long-term effects are related more to the child's developmental status, sex, and temperament; the qualities of the home and parenting environments; and to the resources and support systems available to the parents and child than they are to divorce or remarriage per se." (Hetherington et al., 303) From a clinical treatment perspective,
Divorce on Children Children of divorce can be negatively impacted by the separation of parents and the concomitant stress associated with the parents' relationship. These negative effects can range from mild cases to extreme, and can differ according to gender and age (i.e., development level of the child). External factors also play a part in the degree of the effect of the divorce, such as socioeconomic conditions of the family,
This article is of extreme importance in this research study. It adds to the other articles mentioned by discussing the importance of protective factors in detail and urging caution when espousing a correlative relationship between cause and effect in divorce and the reaction of children. Leon, K. (2003). Risk and Protective Factors in Young Children's Adjustment to Parental Divorce: A Review of the Research. Family Relations, 52(3), pp.258-270. In this article, Leon
The author notes that little research is accorded to children's diminished psychosocial behavior following divorce. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten cohort (n=10,061), he examines the associations between divorce and children's outcome and suggests that divorce is associated with diminished psychosocial well-being in children thereby explaining the connection between divorce and lower academic achievement. The study is useful for my research since it mentions psychosocial factors. Nonetheless, I
Child Abuse What is child abuse Every explanation of child abuse and abandonment takes for granted a description of the child. The Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulates that a child is "any human who has not attained the age of 18 years except if the law pertaining to child majority is reached at an earlier age." (Child abuse & neglect) Child abuse and abandonment, at times also ascribed to
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