The Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Children Essay

Marriage is an institution that is meant to last a lifetime for most people. However, there are many instances where things do not pen out as they should marking the end of marriages. Divorce has become a common stay in today's society. Parents are separating more because of various reasons which have tremendous effects on the lives of their children. Indeed, it has been identified that children have serious negative effects when raised in broken homes. These negative effects touch on their mental, physical, psychological, social and emotional problems. These effects are either short-term or long-term depending on the nature of the divorce (Hawkins 123). The purpose of this paper is to identify and argue the short-term and long-term effects of divorce on children.

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The short-term effects are the effects that last for a long period although they may lead to long-term effects. Considering that it is a divorce situation, it is more likely that the effects are negative although there are some positive effects that children have such as getting more toys since each parent may feel the need to outwit the other (Kalter 592). However, the negative effects far outweigh the positive ones in this matter. Anxiety is one of the short-term side effects that is triggered by divorce. Anxiety is a kind of stressful feeling that is brought about by apprehension about a new thing that is about to begin. The idea of a new way of life causes some children to feel anxious since they do not know how to deal with the new arrangement (Lamb 165).

Constant stress is a common short-term effect of divorce for both the parents and the children. Children feel stressed when they feel like their life will never be the same again and more so when they assume that they are the reason for the breakup. It is important that parents explain that the children will always have priority and in no way was the divorce related to them (Hawkins 157). Another short-term effect is intense sadness. Even though it is an effect, it is an expected reaction not just in children but all the people affected by the divorce. It is important for the responsible people in the child's life to ensure that sadness is dealt with as it can lead to more problems that are long-term in nature. Healthy and acceptable ways of dealing with the sadness need to be identified. Depression and stress are some of the long-term effects that may be born out of sadness. Stress and sadness go hand in hand, and it is important to ensure that the children cope well with the new changes (Lamb 163-174).

With the new lifestyle, children tend to manifest their discomfort through irritability and mood swings. They are usually angry and withdrawn which psychologists identify as mechanisms of masking their anger occasioned by the divorce. The mood swings affect their social skills and make them have difficult times relating with their friends (Lamb 169). Another short-term effect is distress which is also a factor of the mood swings. It is more prevalent in divorces that involve constant legal and custody battles as well as visitation rights and privileges. Painful divorces that had a marital conflict as a factor are also known to aggravate distress in children. The distress affects much of their social lives, education performance and many other areas of their lives. It is termed as short-term because it can end as soon as it started (Hawkins 188).

All the above factors are elements of stress and play a critical role in the creation of long-term effects. Long-term effects are the effects that last for a long time and have a huge impact on the life of a child. Substance abuse is a long-term effect of divorce. Indeed, many children resort to using drugs to suppress the emotions they have and use them as mechanisms to deal with their problems. Substance abuse is created from short-term effects. For instance, when a child is stressed, he/she might use drugs to cope with the stress (Kalter 591). It is one of the commonest long-term effects of divorce and should be looked into with much concern.

Another long-term effect is that the children's social skills are affected by divorce. Again, this is a fruit of factors such as stress, anxiety, and sadness. It is also born from mood swings which make a child not want to relate with other children appreciating solitude as he/she finds that he/she can cope better alone. Because the parents are no longer together, the child loses trust in relationships with others as he/she believes it will end up being hurtful like that of his/her parents (Kalter 594).

Poor education performance is also a long-term effect that is divorce related. A child may be performing well in school, but the events at home can cause his/her performance to go down. Indeed, the more a child is needed to adapt to divorce changes, the more difficulty school presents. Education is the key to the betterment, and its effects are long-term in nature (Lamb 172).

Depression is one of the most serious effects of divorce. Depression and social withdrawal are more in children from divorced families. Children whose short-term effects are not looked into may fall into a serious depression which is bad for their growth. Depression is a serious mental condition that impacts both the mental and physical health of an individual. It is important to ensure that depression is taken with seriousness as at times, it may lead to the death of the child as well as other people (Kalter 592-595). In the end, a mixture of all these effects leads to the child being socioeconomically disadvantaged in the future. This means that the child will have no friends and no social life when they grow up and because their education was affected, plus substance abuse, they have little chance of progressing well into adulthood and being economically self-sufficient (Lamb 173).

Conclusion

In conclusion, divorce is a huge change in the life of a family. Other than the parents who are separating, the children are also affected by divorce. Indeed, the short-term effects such as stress, anxiety, sadness, and distress affect the child for a short time and can change in the long run. The long-term effects such as substance abuse, depression, poor education performance, and socio-economic disadvantage are serious health risks to a child. Divorce should be handled with care, and the wellbeing of the children should play an important role even as families separate. Furthermore, although these are negative effects, divorce may also be a solution for children especially in a marriage that had violence and conflict. All in all, divorce is a change that should be handled with utmost care for the benefit of the parties involved, and especially the children.

Works Cited

Hawkins, David. "The negative effects of divorce on the behavior of children." 2000.

Kalter, Neil. "Long-term effects of divorce on children: A developmental vulnerability model." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, vol. 57, no. 4, Dec. 1987, pp. 587-600.

Lamb, Michael E. "The Effects of Divorce on Children's Personality Development." Journal of Divorce, vol. 1, no. 2, 1978, pp. 163-174.