{4:50 minutes to read} When examining the plethora of research that has been conducted on divorce and its impact on children, one should keep in mind that the results are correlational in nature and, therefore, causality should not be attributed to them.

Furthermore, among studies that looked at children of divorced parents over time, there are many variables at play which cannot be monitored. With those caveats in mind, we can examine some of the findings:

The Impact of Conflict

In general, divorce does not automatically predict a poor adjustment on the child’s part. The amount of parental conflict is the strongest predictor of the children’s adjustment following a divorce. Critical variables include the frequency and intensity of the conflict—in particular, whether there is domestic violence.

Unsurprisingly, parents and children undergo the most stress at the time of the divorce. This can bring out the worst in individuals and lead to problematic behavior as everyone adjusts to the upheaval in their lives.

Conflict tends to escalate during the first year following divorce, as parents cope with the anger and depression that can result from divorce. While contact between parents is normally desirable, it is worse for the child if the parental conflict remains high.

The Importance of Structure and Support

Resources outside the family can provide an important buffer for children whose parents undergo a divorce, and attenuate the negative effects of the parents’ divorce on the child’s adjustment. For example, the conflict of the parents in the home can be somewhat attenuated by a warm, close relationship with the child’s schoolteacher, or by the structure provided by the school.

Structure is also important in terms of visitation. In fact, regularity of visits is more important than their frequency. This is because children of divorcing parents undergo a great deal of loss and unpredictability and therefore need structure and stability in their lives all the more.

Predictions and Risk Factors

The quality of the pre-divorce relationship between parent and child is not an accurate predictor of their post-divorce relationship. For example, a father who was consumed by his career and left his child primarily to the mother’s care might rediscover, after divorce, his desire to be an involved parent—and behave accordingly.

There is no strong evidence to suggest that fathers who become primary caretakers following divorce are any less able to provide for the children emotionally than the mothers would be.

Very generally speaking, some of the research seems to suggest that boys might externalize and act out more than girls, who are prone to internalize (i.e., develop symptoms such as depression or anxiety).

Finally, children with special needs (like ADHD) are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of divorce.

For more information, please contact me at nycforensics@gmail.com.

Dr. Alberto Yohananoff
NYC Forensics
dryohananoff@nycforensics.com
P: (646) 284-5600
F: (212) 706-9136

Posted in Conflict Resolution