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Taylor Bivans
Professor Campbell
UWRT 1103
March 25, 2015

Divorce on Adolescents
Cory Monteith, an actor who died in 2013 at age 31 by drug overdose, first
overdosed when he was only fifteen years old. His mother told ABC News Bianna
Golodryga on Good Morning America that she believed it was because he wanted his
fathers attention. Corys parents divorced when he was seven years old. I am not saying
that every child who suffers from the effects of divorce will have a drug problem. What I
am saying is that these problems go hand in hand and this is a huge issue. Corys mother
said that he kept reaching out harder and harder to his father to achieve a relationship
with him. I feel that this issue needs to be brought to light, so we can eliminate the effects
on children.
According to Paul Strand, a correspondent for CBN News, about a quarter of first
time marriages end in divorce. Many people believe that the divorce rate is much higher
than 25%, but this is still a high number for something that means so much. The Barna
Group, a group that performs research based off of cultural trends, stated, there no
longer seems to be much of a stigma attached to divorce. This means that people who

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divorce are no longer judged for their decision. This is shocking, because marriages are
supposed to be a joining of two people who love each other. Divorce should not be taken
lightly just because it happens to be a trend. Divorce is a process and it is not over when
the papers are signed. The annulment of two people negatively affects everyone involved.
Children whose parents are divorced face problems of adjustment and
development. Jacqueline Kirby, a former professor at Ohio State, and Katherine Dean, a
graduate student at Ohio State, discuss the specific effects divorce places on teenagers.
Children of divorce have more difficulties in school, are more sexually active, more
aggressive and withdrawn, less social and are more likely to abuse substances (Dean and
Kirby). Recognize how they said they are more likely to do something, rather than
divorce causes them to be this way. In other words, divorce puts extra unnecessary stress
on children that should not be their problem to begin with. Dean and Kirby also address
that these children have lack of parental support in decision making and feel that their
time for growing up is shortened. This means that children have to be independent at a
young age and be responsible for themselves. I feel that this ties in with the statement of
teenagers being more sexually active and more likely to abuse substances. Adolescents
are not perfect and in my opinion they are most likely going to act this way regardless of
other circumstances. But what I am trying to make clear is that divorce just adds to the
problem.
The experience doubled a kids risk of a stroke over a lifetime, but parental
screaming and fighting are bad for kids too (Divorce Plagues Kids..). This statement
leads to a study done by a researcher. Doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin,
Hyun Sik Kim, believes that we need to intervene as soon as possible, because if

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children of divorce undergo a certain stage, then its hard to make them catch up to their
counterparts (qtd. in Divorce Plagues Kids..). What Kim is saying is that children who
are being affected by divorce are falling behind their peers. I agree with his statement,
because the sooner you address a problem, the likelihood of you seeing results is greater.
Kim found that kids of divorce began to struggle as soon as their parents began
divorce proceedings (Divorce Plagues Kids..). In other words, the children started to
struggle as soon as the parents started acting differently with each other and maybe if one
parent moved out of the house. These children stayed behind other kids and began
internalizing behavior problems (Kim qtd. in Divorce Plagues Kids..). What this means
is that behavior problems became a part of them and they were constantly afflicted by it.
This is an issue, because children should not be burdened by a problem that is completely
out of their control. Hyun Sik Kim also stated, the divorce and post divorce phases are
tougher on kids because custody battles, a parent moving away, and shuffling back and
forth between households. I feel that this comment brings up a valid point. I know from
personal experience that the post divorce phase can be the hardest. Its hard to see your
parents as enemies and you feel that you have to pick a side.
Some people believe that there are certain factors that can determine the level of
impact. Allison Clarke-Stewart, lead researcher of the University of California, found that
it mostly depends on the socioeconomic status. Clarke-Stewart stated that its family
income and mothers emotional well-being that are important (qtd. in Family Income
Predicts..). Clarke-Stewart also found that the more educated the mother is, the less
depressed they are and the more positive their interactions with their children appear to
bolster childrens functioning. I agree that the more positive parents are with their

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children and the less depressed they seem to be could reduce the effect the divorce has on
their child. What I do not understand is why they are focusing on the mother. Although I
agree that the parents actions can aid in the process, I do not agree with this researchers
approach. Sometimes the mother is not the parent who ends up being the one to take care
of the child.
I believe that having a stable income can affect the impact. This is because usually
when people get divorced they struggle with bills because they were used to living in a
two-income household. This could lead to changes in the structure of parenting, because
the child would not be able to receive the same treatment as before, and this could lead to
issues between the parent and the child. But if the parent had a stable income on their
own, this problem could be avoided and there would be one less burden placed on the
child.
Even though its difficult to stop the effects from happening, there are precautions
that parents can take. According to Victoria Clayton, a contributor to NBC News, 50
percent of counties throughout the nation now have classes for parents who are
divorcing in which two-thirds of these counties theyre mandatory for all divorcing
parents. I feel that this is a great mechanism that can really help parents out in the long
run. I do not think that the classes should necessarily be mandatory, but rather strongly
recommended.
Constance Ahrons, a psychologist, says I always tell couples to minimize the
transition also, keep the conflict to a minimum and never put the children in the
middle (qtd. in Divorce Doesnt Have..). Keeping the children out of the divorce is
extremely important, in my opinion. Children should not be exposed to conflict between

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their parents. Victoria Clayton addresses the fact that if handled properly, separation and
divorce do not have to be devastating for children. In other words, if parents take action
to make sure that their children are not involved, then they should be less affected. Most
children witness their parents arguing, criticizing each other and many other things. I feel
that this only adds to the problem, because the children begin to feel that they have to
take sides and could grow apart from the other parent.
People are understanding that for their childrens health they have to find a way
to work together, says Ahrons (qtd. in Divorce Doesnt Have..). I feel that many parents
grow to despise one another after divorcing. This can lead to custody issues and
eventually placing a burden on the child. According to Clayton, the classes available to
divorcing parents teach communication. This would aid in helping parents become more
civil with each other so they can be better parents.
Divorce affects not only the two adults involved, but also their loved ones.
Divorce is an emotional roller coaster and needs to be looked at in a more serious light. I
feel that the two individuals who are divorcing definitely need help to avoid long-term
effects. But there needs to be a focus on the ones who are affected and have no choice in
the matter, such as the children. The research shows that people are aware of this issue
but I do not feel that most people understand the severity.

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Works Cited
Clayton, Victoria. "Divorce Doesn't Have to Destroy the Kids." NBC News. 11 Dec.
2007, Children's Health sec. Msnbc.com. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Dean, Katherine, and Jacqueline Kirby. "Teens and Divorce: What Hurts and What
Helps?" Family and Consumer Sciences. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
"Divorce Plagues Kids' Social, Academic Lives for Years." Fox News. LiveScience, 2
June 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Murray, B. "Family Income Predicts Childrens Post Divorce Well Being." American
Psychological Association. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
New Marriage and Divorce Statistics Released. Barna Group. Barna Group. Web. 25
Mar. 2015.
Strand, Paul. Divorce Shocker: Most Marriages Do Make It. The Christian
Broadcasting Group. The Christian Broadcasting Group. Web. 25 Mar. 2015