The Emotional Impact Divorce Has on Kids

Divorce - Separation - How it affects Children

The Emotional Impact Divorce Has on Kids

Divorce creates emotional turmoil for the entire family, but for kids, the situation can be quite scary, confusing, and frustrating:

Young children often struggle to understand why they must go between two homes. They may worry that if their parents can stop loving one another that someday, their parents may stop loving them.Grade school children may worry that the divorce is their fault. They may fear they misbehaved or they may assume they did something wrong.Teenagers may become quite angry about a divorce and the changes it creates. They may blame one parent for the dissolution of the marriage or they may resent one or both parents for the upheaval in the family.

Of course, each situation is unique. In extreme circumstances, a child may feel relieved by the separation—if a divorce means fewer arguments and less stress.

Article source

Carr CM, Wolchik SA. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences . 2nd ed. Elsevier Science; 2015. To read the full article https://www.verywellfamily.com