Co-parental relationship with both parents planning together for the future of the children and engaging in corroboration of schedules and activities may prevent many, if not all, of the harmful results detailed by McClanahan and Cherlin et al. (1996). In fact, as Buchanan et al. (2007) illustrate, those deterrents together with timely interventions may help adolescents from divorced homes proceed with their lives and help parents and social workers succeed in their strategies formulated to ease children's adjustment to divorce. In 1991, Cherlin et al. conducted national longitudinal surveys in both England and the U.S.A. Of the effects of divorce on children. In both boys and girls negative effects of divorce were apparent, particularly when compared to intact families. (This replicated the results of McClanahan's research which showed that children from divorced families also seem to have lower academic scores than children from intact families, but socioeconomic and other variables may also have an impact here).

In 2007, however, almost 2 decades later, Buchanan et al. (2007) conducted a longitudinal follow-up study (first stage: 1984-1985 when parents first filed for divorce; follow-up stage -- interview with and observation of adolescents -- 1988-1989) on 1,500 adolescents. They found that the more life stressors, children experienced before divorce took effect the harder the adjustment period were later. Repartnering of parent was sometimes, although not always helpful, and parenting style as well as parental involvement were, among other factors, crucial to adjustments. The research conducted by Buchanan et al. (2007) was more optimistic and positive than that conducted by Cherlin et al. (1991):

Four and half years after their parents had separated, many adolescents were functioning well and could talk to us frankly and articulately about their experiences as members of divorced families (273).

Actions are necessary to reach these results but "for parents who feel they must divorce.. these achievements are possible" (ibid.)

These perspectives have initiated from a mergence of both social and religious views. The past two decades, however, have seen many changes in the legal context of divorce, such as the basis of' fault-based statues as reason for divorce disappearing and the 'non-compatible' excuse being plausible allowance for dissolution of marriage. Custody matters now focus on the children, rather than the parents, and inter-parental conflict is taken into consideration. As Buchanan et al. (2007) reports all of these changes exist in order to mitigate the effects of divorce on children and, accordingly, impact the way that children of a divorced family react to 'breakup' of their home.
Popenoe and Charlin, in contrast were written in the early 1990s before these legal changes occurred. It may well be that greater focus on children in the divorce situation and on interventions to mitigate and deal with aspects of divorce may mitigate the negative ramifications of divorce, eliminating some if not all of the problems.

In short, the changing legal atmospheres in the divorce situation, with focusing on children to contraposition of parents, and deterrents together with timely interventions may help adolescents from divorced homes proceed with their lives and help parents and social workers succeed in their strategies formulated to ease children's adjustment to divorce so that the problems apparent in the 1990s and before, may be less apparent today.

References

Buchanan, CM et al. (2007). Adolescents after divorce. UK: Harvard Univ. Press.

Cherlin, AJ et al. (1991) Longitudinal Studies of Effects of Divorce on Children in Great Britain and the United States Science, New Series, Vol. 252, No. 5011.

McClanahan Why we care about single parenthood

Popenoe, D. (1993) American family…