Two Children Caught in Divorce Dispute: Kate & Ken's Story - Case Study

Introduction

This case will study the incident of two children, Kate, and ken that are in the middle of a divorce dispute between their parents, Celestial and Roy. This paper will concentrate on the general reaction of the children about the separation of their parents and understanding their views on co-parental status. The paper will analyze the situation of the children dealing with the transition living with both parents and living with one parent. In addition, the study will focus on the impact of parent's conflict on the children and their struggle through social, emotional, and academic adaptation. The objective of this study is to provide knowledge on divorce and its impact on the children.

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Presentation of Case Study

Both kids' Ken and Kate are encountering feelings of anger, distress, anxiety, and disbelief concerning the separation of their parents that took place year this year. Ken, who is a second-year university, no longer hang out with his friends like before, nowadays mostly, he looks himself in his room and prefers spending the rest of his day watching television. While on the other side, Kate has turned to be aggressive in school; for instance, a week before his interview, her mother was called the school because Kate stoned her friend Jane. In their honest opinion, the children with their parents to reconcile.

Below are exact words from Kate and Ken during the interview session, I had with them

Kate believes she is the cause of the parents' separation. She blames herself for her poor performance in school and her naughtiness.

I am so disappointed in myself, and I wished I had changed my behavior to be a good girl and improve my grade in school. I remember one instance where my mother blamed my father for my poor performance. My father usually comes home late while drunk and rarely have time for Ken and me, and mum comes back from work when tired, then resumes housing chaos. I blame myself; if I was not a naughty kid, my mother could not blame my father; hence, they could not have divorced.

Ken blames his father for the situation. I am aware my parents used to fight frequently, but I never imagined they could reach this point. But, I blame my father mostly for their separation. My father is entire since when I was young, he has never created time for the family, I used to come home late, drunk and ends up beating mum up. I still believe there is something I can do to bring them back together."

Analysis of the Case Study Referencing the Relevant Research

Various researches have been conducted, and more are underway, but one clear fact is that children are the primary victims, and the rate of divorce has been on the rise. "Parental divorce is associated with academic difficulties including lower grades and prematurely dropping out of school" (D'Onofrio, 2011) Kate is dealing with an intense feeling of self-blame, that her grades could be the reason of their parents' divorce. In grade four, Kate decides to put more effort into her classwork and strives to please her mother, hoping that they will notice a change. She feels that she could do something to take back time and be a good girl. Kate misses her father and longs for the day that her whole family will live under the same roof. According to Amato, 2001, children are likely to feel abandoned and extremely worried about their future and that of their parents.

Teenagers tend to experiences emotional disorders when faced with a stressful scenario, such as the divorce of their parents. Ken is a perfect example, and his act of withdrawing himself from his peer is one of the symptoms of depression. According to Teen Depression Rates among Children of Divorce (n.d.), one of the recent research by World Health Organization demonstrates depression is young people can lead some of the following academic difficulties, substance use disorders, engagement in risky behavior (such alcohol abuse, sex, smoking, etc.) and trial at self- injury. When Ken case remains undealt with, he might end up seeking comfort to drugs or attempt to kill himself.

Conclusion

The negative impact of divorce on children is disturbing and causes alarm to the communities. in this case, Kate and Ken are finding ways to deal with the emotions that their parents' divorce brought, what they do not understand is that it's not their fault. Ken finds solace in being alone; he no longer does the things he liked doing before; Kate, on the other hand, feels the need to prove herself to her parents. From the above study, parents must put a framework in place that will ensure that the children understand that it is not their fault. Communication is a guaranteed way to deal with these issues.

References

Amato, P.R. (2001). Children of divorce in the 1990's: An update of the Amato and Keith (1991) meta-analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 15(3), 355-370. Retrieved from: https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2001-11319-001

Barron, L. (2010). Divorce and its effects on the development of children. Retrieved from: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/grp/132

Teen Depression Rates among Children of Divorce. (n.d.). Retrieved November 21, 2009, from PROMISES BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH: https://www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com/addiction-recovery-blog/teen-depression-rates-among-children-of-divorce/