divorce help

America’s children reflect the effects of what is happening to the American family. Never before have so many children faced so many problems: physical and sexual abuse, crime and delinquency, depression and suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, emotional and behavioral problems, learning difficulties, school problems, dropping out, poor grades, running away from home, pregnancy, abortion and venereal disease. Sometimes these problems result from unhealthy social or family relationships. They also may arise as a byproduct of an unhappy marriage or a damaging divorce. Divorce can be a very painful and disruptive experience for children, with long-term effects. Some children manage to survive their parents’ unhappy marriage and painful divorce and grow past it; other children suffer from the effects for years. How children are affected by divorce largely depends on their personality, the circumstance surrounding the divorce and the parents’ sensitivity to their children. It is toward a better understanding of how parents can be more sensitive to their children during the divorce process that this publication is dedicated. When parents put the needs of their children first, and are aware of how their own behavior can either harm or help their offspring during this time of turmoil, it is possible to reduce the negative EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON CHILDREN.


by Waln K. Brown, Ph.D