The Psychological Impact of Divorce on Children

We’re all familiar with the traditional portrayal of the children of divorce: either angrily acting out because of the trauma induced by their parents’ divorce, or suffering from depression from the lack of nurturing attention paid to them during the acrimonious divorce proceedings. In actuality, though, these perceptions are rather misleading. Though they can be accurate, it’s an issue of misunderstanding the data at hand.

Some researchers believe now that it is not divorce that makes for traumatized children, but rather the effects of long-term conflict in the household. So it isn’t that children of divorces are experiencing the psychological effects of the divorce so much as they are experiencing the effects of the conflict that led up to the divorce. These researchers believe that the child’s reaction to divorce is based on:

• The strength of the relationship with both parents before the divorce
• The severity and duration of the conflict between the divorcing parents
• The quality of the relationship with both parents after the divorce

The interpretation of studies has suggested that it is the unhappiness surrounding the divorce and not the divorce itself that leads to psychological damage in children of divorce. If you and your spouse are going through a divorce, it is important to try to remain as civil as possible. While a fair deal of disagreement and argument is inherent in a relationship heading for divorce, it’s important to keep the needs of your children in mind.

As always, it is important to make sure that your relationship with your children remains unchanged and that you do not devolve into arguments in front of or through the kids. Remembering that you are the adults in the relationship is vital to making sure your children are able to cope with the divorce and move forward in life without being hindered by the psychological scars of an acrimonious end to their parents’ relationship.

Contact Us

For sound and experienced advice on how to make divorce as easy as possible on your children, and for the representation you need, contact the Boca Raton divorce lawyers of Eric N. Klein & Associates, P.A. by calling 561-353-2800.