Children Of Divorced Parents example essay topic

327 words
A higher percentage of people in the United States marry than in any other modern society. Unfortunately, along with marriage comes divorce. The divorce rate for families with dependent children is very alarming. It has been estimated that 41 percent of all children will experience the disruption of their parents' marriage by age 15 (National Center for Health Statistics, 1989). There are many disturbing consequences that affect the children of divorced parents.

One study showed that children from divorced families perceive their relationships with their parents as more distant, less affectionate, and less communicative. One of the most traumatizing times in my life was when my parents were discussing divorce. I had a very hard time concentrating in school and the subject was very hush-hush in my house. My reaction to the situation was very typical of a child in the middle of a divorce. A majority of the time, children tend to blame themselves for the separation. They feel as if only they had done something different, their daddy wouldn't have left them.

Children from divorced families are also more likely to become addicted to drugs and alcohol, and to suffer from mental disorders. However, the child's long-term adjustment to a divorce can't be predicted by his or her early reactions to it. As the child grows older, perhaps even into adulthood, his or her parents' divorce still may occupy a central emotional position in the child's life. The episode between my parents captured a huge part of my emotional stability. I don't trust relationships and have been having bouts of depression ever since their separation. Parents rarely understand the emotional toll that a child goes through during a divorce.

It not only steals the stable ground from beneath his or her feet, but in addition it disrupts whatever relationship building skills he or she possesses and obliterates trust.