New Divorce Study Examines How Children May Be Affected by Divorce
Children are often as much or even more affected by a divorce as their parents, and a new study in the March issue of Family Process details just how influential these effects may be. The study says that children may still feel the effects of divorce some 20 years later. From parental conflict and the absence of one parent to remarriage or something else, such possible post-divorce developments may influence family relationships across multiple generations according to the study.
Constance Ahrons authored this study, which she says clearly demonstrates that families change but do not dissolve following divorce. She also adds that the study results depict one particularly interesting relationship. The study allegedly shows that how children of divorced parents relate to their grandparents, stepparents, and even their sibling is associated with how their divorced parents react to each other.
Ahrons specifically says that more research needs to be done on the short-term and long-term effects of divorce on children. She feels that children are too often muted in such studies and need to be spoken to directly to learn more about how their parents’ divorce has impacted them. Proponents of such a study says it reveals the need for more divorce laws and policies promoting less conflict between parents during the divorce process.
