Divorce and Its Negative Effects in the Children

Divorce and its Negative Effects in the Children

Divorce is a very common word in today's society. Many people around the world talk about this controversially issue, but what exactly is divorce? What are the effects? How are children affected? According to the American Heritage Dictionary, divorce is defined as: "judicial administrative process that legally terminates a marriage no longer considered viable by one or both of the spouses and that permits both to remarry". Divorce has rapidly increased in the past fifty years. The U. S. has one of the highest divorce rates in the world. Almost sixty percent of all marriages in the U.S. end in divorce. Whatever the cause of divorce -lack of communication, education, money or adultery- it affects the husband, wife and especially the children. Each year, over one million American children suffer from the divorce of their parents. A divorce can affect a child psychologically, intellectually, and behaviorally. Children can suffer physiologically from things like depression, suicidal tendencies, and eating disorders, intellectually by having trouble in school and behaviorally by having trouble in social settings.

Physiologically children of divorced parents will suffer significantly; they will experience depression, suicidal tendencies, eating disorders, and other health issues. Like the parents, a child will experience feelings of helplessness by the loss and deprivation of the other of parent. Depression is the most common mental disorder manifested by a mood swing. It includes loss of enjoyment of previously pleasurable activities, sad or irritable mood sway, change in weight or appetite, problems sleeping or concentrating, and feelings of insignificance. Children are easy prey for this disease. Depression during childhood is a real health problem because children are too emotionally and intellectually immature, to understand such a big change in their lives. Depression during childhood differs in many aspects. Some children will show signs of hyperactivity, while others complain of fatigue and illness. Depending of the severity of the depression, children often feel empty, hopelessness, guilt, and apathy. During divorce, a children's self-esteem is usually low, and they may feel overwhelmed, restless, and irritable. Also in this stage, children and parents suffer from poor communication, so children keep their true feelings and concerns from their parents. Recognizing depression in children can be difficult for adults. However, it is crucial that children with depression get help as soon as the parents observe the first signs of it in their children because it can save their lives.

When children have an episode of severe depression, they will have suicidal tendencies. Suicide has become much more common in children than it used to be. For example, according to statistics of the Census