The Effects of Divorce on Children Divorce statistics in the 1990s suggest that nearly sixty percent of marriages end in divorce. Considering this astonishing figure, it can be assumed that many children will experience some effects caused by the life-changing event called divorce. What exactly is it about divorce that causes negative consequences for these children? How will these children be affected? Will these effects manifest themselves externally? The disturbing fact is that young children of divorced parents face great psychological challenges due to environmental conditions and changes associated with divorce (Wolchik and Karoly 45). When we pass the year 2000, we will see two groups of working-age adults emerge. One group will have received psychological, social, economic, educational and moral benefits and the other group will have been denied them all. The first group will have grown up with both parents present at home while the second group will not have had both parents present. Parental conflict appears to have a pronounced effect on children's coping efforts. The intense anxiety and anger of some parents in the early stages of divorce is real. Parents often allow their children to get into fierce verbal fights with each other. Scolding the other parent in front of the child is another way of putting the child in an unfair position, essentially expecting the child to choose between the parents. Any form of parental conflict, no matter to what extent, involves a difficult adjustment period for the children involved. (Jekielek 1-3). Deterioration of parent-child relationship after divorce is another major cause of children's psychological problems. With divorce comes a parenting plan of some kind. A child may benefit from shared custody between both parents or custody from one parent with visitation from the other parent. Variations of these plans may be included or added at different times in the child's life depending on particular circumstances. In most cases, custody of the children is entrusted to the mother. The absence of a full-time father is detrimental to the healthy development of children. If the father is entrusted with custody of the children, the opposite also applies. Studies have shown that a decay in parent-child relationships can occur frequently... middle of paper... and try to take my father's place. But sometimes, when I date a man a lot and he's nice to me, I can't help but wish he was my father. I told her that if she ever wanted a husband, I have a list of choices and that it would be nice if she could choose someone who could help me play games on my computer. I wouldn't mind if my dad remarried because maybe they would have another child and to tell you the truth I would really like to have a younger brother. But I wouldn't want my mom to have a baby because she would live with us and then I would have to share all my things. However, what I really want, deep down, is for my father not to remarry and neither does my mother. What I hope and hope for more than anything is that they will get back together again" Works CitedDiamond, Susan. Helping Children of Divorce. Furstenberg, Frank F. "Children and families change: discourse among social scientists and the media." Jekielek, Susan M. “Parental Conflict, Marital Disruption, and Children's Emotional Well-Being.” Krementz, Jill. “What It Feels Like When Parents Divorce.” Wolchik, Sharlene A., and Paul Karoly “Children of Divorce Empirical Perspectives on Adjustment.”."