Essay on Divorce

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people. A child living with their mother is fourteen times more likely to be abused. A child whose mother is with another man, not the child’s father, is thirty three times more likely to be abused ("Why Married," 2015). So why do studies say divorce is good? When children are in a home with arguing parents, the parents will continue to argue no matter if they are in the same home or different. Their fighting and arguing directly affects the child. When positive parenting is in act throughout the child’s life, the child is less affected mentally. When a parent is sensitive and responsive to the child’s needs, it increases the child’s feelings of security. When arguing parents’ divorce, it only makes the situation worse. The parents continue to argue putting the child through mental destruction. Eleven and a half percent of adolescents who didn’t live with both parents reported they had been victims of violence in their homes-twice the percent (5.8 percent) of children living with biological parents ("Benefits of Family", 2015). Therefore in no way, shape, or form can divorce be good for a child.

Academically children will begin to fail in school. Teens are more two to three times more likely to drop out of school after a divorce (Portnoy, 2008). However some studies try to prove that more intelligent children can go through a divorce with absolutely no changes. In a study from the National Institute of Child Care and Youth Development, families of divorce were tested. One study stated "We anticipated that more intelligent children and children with sensitive mothers would be buffered from negative consequences of divorce. Key words were anticipated. They expected these would be the outcomes. While the children didn’t have as many problems academically, they still suffered from many mental and emotional problems (Weaver & Schofield, 2015). According to Holly Mahnensmith, many kids will give up and not care about their grades after they struggle with divorce.

Different developmental ages demonstrate differed behaviors or reactions to parental divorce. Infants react to changes in their parents emotions. If infants notice the change they may react by a change in appetite or increase in spitting up. Preschool aged children often blame themselves first. They may also feel abandoned or as if nobody likes them anymore. Elementary children may show mood changes. They may become more depressed and less open to talk. Often their academic knowledge may begin to decline. These children often feel rejected and unwanted by a certain parent. Older children who have a better understanding of the divorce may blame one parent. Adolescents often get mad and become more rebellious. Then engage more sexually and show extreme deterioration in behavior (Rich, Molloy, Hart, Ginsberg, & Mulvey, 2007). Children who deal with divorce are more likely to display higher levels of emotional, mental, and academic problems. Dealing with conduct problems, adolescents are two to three times more likely to engage in delinquent behavior than peers from intact families. They are fifty percent more likely to drink alcohol and use drugs or illegal substances. Females have higher levels of sexual activity throughout high school compared to teen girls from intact families. Academically children generally exhibit lower academic performance after a divorce. When in doubt our society tries to look at the good of the situation. Children raised in intact families have higher academic achievement, better emotional health, and fewer behavior problems. Intact families are more likely to provide a safe home for children. Divorce is very detrimental to a child’s life and development. The effects of divorce leave long lasting effects on a child’s emotional, mental, and academic well-being. No matter the statistics of how good divorce can be, there will always be side effects. A child will never go through a divorce smooth. Children question and respond to absolutely everything. Children will become emotionally drained and begin stages of depression, children will become mentally destroyed, and children will begin to fail academically. Divorce is never a good situation to put a child in.