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The Effect of Divorce on Children's Learning and Behavior Essay

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The Effect of Divorce on Children's Learning and Behavior

The effect of divorce on children?s learning and behavior is a major problem in today's society. Everyday, children everywhere deal with this issue. Nowhere is this displayed more prevalently than in our schools. Divorce hurts children more than parents realize.

By the time they turn 18, approximately fifty to sixty percent of all children in the United States have been affected by divorce (Miller, 1). Divorce-related problems (e.g., visitation, child support, parental custody) can be ongoing sources of stress to children, even up to eight years after the initial separation.

Children can be robbed of a special experience and protection called 'Family'. They move on in …show more content…

They are much more likely to develop mental and emotional disorders later in life. They start sexual activity earlier, have more children out of wedlock, are less likely to marry, and if they do marry, are more likely to divorce. They are likelier to abuse drugs, turn to crime, and commit suicide (Leo,1).

Divorce produces ?sleep effects,? deep and long-term emotional problems that arise only when children enter early adulthood and begin to confront issues of romance and marriage. They generally were more erratic and self-defeating. Most often, they run from conflict or avoid relationships entirely. Expecting disaster, they work to create it. If they grow up to success in work and romance, they still have a feeling of dread and foreboding that it could all collapse at any moment, like the intact home they once had (Leo,2).

Effects of divorce may vary by gender, age, development level, and quality of noncustodial parenting (Miller, 1). For example; preschoolers are more likely to focus on maintaining emotional security and relationships with both parents, and to need routines in their school and home environments. These early problems can be compounded by the time they reach middle childhood. This is the result of the child blaming him or herself for their parents divorce. The child may feel that it is their responsibility to some how bring their parents back together.

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