Children after Parents Divorce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Children after Parents Divorce - Essay Example This may be caused by the lack of parental involvement following divorce. According to Wood, Repetti, and Roesch, "From a child's perspective, having a sad, self-oriented, and withdrawn mother may evoke a sense of isolation and rejection, particularly if the mother is the primary caregiver. The child may attempt to re-engage the mother by making bids for 'negative attention'" (125). This negative attention manifests itself as anti-social behavior. In teenage children who are impacted by divorce, there are higher levels of alcohol, drug, and tobacco use (Andres and Gilman 3). Among adolescent girls there are increased rates of behavioral problems, lower self-esteem, and an increase in depression (Andres and Gilman 3). There is also an increase of early exit from the home environment, unplanned pregnancy, teenage marriage, and subsequent divorce (Lye 4-8). Lye further states that these actions are heavily influenced by the degree of post-divorce parental involvement, income, neighborhood, and parental conflict (4-8, 4-9). Younger children will be most affected by the upheaval in the family living arrangements.