The Affects of Divorce on Children

Divorce in America

Divorce in America has become an overwhelmingly popular occurrence. With the downfall of today's society, it seems more and more people are turning to divorce as the answer instead of working things out. Parents are not the only ones affected in divorce. When kids are involved, there is no way to measure the various effects placed upon them.

There are several different ways that children may be affected, but I will only address the top three.

Emotional distress if one of the most common side effects. In a study done in 2001, 957,200 reported divorces occurred (not including California, Colorado, Indiana and Louisiana) out of 2,355,005 annually celebrated marriages (including the afore mentioned states). It is assumed that 50% of all first marriages will end up in divorce. Most marriages end in a bitter manner and leave the children feeling like they are responsible for the break up.

English: Managing emotions - Identifying feelings

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Latino Children Play Swing

Their feelings are often ignored and result in pent up emotions including anger, hurt, and frustration. If not attended to properly, the children can grow up feeling unwanted and with a feeling of low self-esteem.

Physical side effects are also evident in some cases. Children often have a hard time dealing with pain, and have no way to release their emotions. Obesity is a common occurrence within children. Food can be seen as a way out of their pain and suffering when no other path is evident. Some children turn to anger as a release that results in the abuse of family and friends. If not dealt with properly, this trait can be carried on throughout adolescence and even adulthood.

Behavioral abnormalities are also present when the child's emotions are not dealt with sufficiently. Abnormalities include selfishness, signs of abusiveness, and social retardations. Some children tend to sequester...