arn more about my parents and myself. The second reason I am interested in the emotional and mental impact of divorce on children is because divorce is a social phenomenon that continues to rise in occurrence as we enter the new millenium “Of all the changes in family life during the 20th century, perhaps the most dramatic-and the most far-reaching in its implications-was the increase in the rate of divorce. Near the middle of the 19th century, only about 5% of first marriages ended in divorce. In contrast, demographers estimate that about half of first marriages initiated in recent years will be voluntarily dissolved” (Amato 2000, 1). Thus, few issues could be as significant for family and marriage counseling as an understanding of the mental and emotional disorders of children and adolescents associated with divorce.
The two main effects of divorce on children and adolescents are an increase of depression and aggressive behavior toward single-parents, teachers, and peers. In fact, it appears from the evidence that the more children of divorced parents mature, the more emotional and mental disorders they appear to develop in later adolescence and adulthood. According to Leo:
Children of divorce are more depressed and aggressive. They are much more likely to develop mental and emotional disorders later in life. They start sexual activity earlier, have more children out of wedlock, are less likely to marry, and if they do marry, are more likely to divorce. They are likelier to abuse drugs, turn to crime, and commit suicide.
The stigma that used to accompany divorce may have been erased from society but the massive impact of divorce on children can no longer be ignored. Divorce causes what are called “sleeper effects” in that deep-rooted and long-term emotional problems arise for children and adolescents of divorced parents, but only later in adulthood when these individuals face romance and marriage issues. ...