The Effects Of Divorce On Children

Divorce is defined as the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body. In the United States, the annual divorce rate is currently around 3.6 divorces for every 1,000 people in the U.S., regardless of age. Divorce laws vary around the world, but in most countries the sanction of a court or other authority is required for divorce in a legal process. This is where issues such as spousal support, child custody, child visitation, parenting time, child support, distribution of property and the division of debt come into play. These aspects of divorce require change in responsibility and routine and can take some people years to become accustomed. Specifically, on the topic of divorce, this research paper will focus on how children

Research done by Patrick F. Fagan and Aaron Churchill has led them to discover that divorce “damages society” and “diminishes children’s future.” This research synthesis discusses how divorce has permanently damaged families, and how their relationships have had an affect on them. The Center for Disease Control has stopped collecting data for accurate number on children affected by divorce annually. The last reported number was over 1,044,000 in 1988. That number is now estimated to be at least 1,000,000 children per year as the percent of women who have been divorced continues to rise. In addition to that estimated number, the latest data from the 2009 American Community Survey shows just 47 percent of U.S. children reach the age of 17 in an intact married family. Fagan and Churchill’s research also discusses the harmful impacts divorce can have on individuals and society in many ways. One impact divorce can have on children is their religious practice and how it lessens their worship and prayers to God. A child’s education can also be affected by lowering their learning capacity and educational attainment. Divorce can significantly increase drug use, crime, abuse and neglect, and can weaken children’s health and longevity. In addition to divorce affecting a child’s health and well-being, it can also increase behavioral, emotional and psychiatric risks which could possibly include suicide. Divorce causes damage to society and consumes social, human, and economic capital. Although divorce can be beneficial in some cases, overall it causes a temporary decrease in an individual’s quality of life, whether it’s the divorcee or their