Effects of Divorce on Children and Parents

Effects of Divorce on Children and Parents

Abstract

Most of the parents who have divorced will be likely to seek court permission to move the children into a new place away from their other parents. Such relocations will often stress and interfere with most important parent-child relationship. And this, in turn, may have more effects on children’s development. This case study discusses the growth of attachment relationship in young children and how relocation is likely to affect young kids; late trends in judicial decision concerning relocations, factors to consider in either to allow relocation or not, ways in which we can improve relationship between young kids and their separated parents either mother or father and implication for legal policy.

In past years the need for one parent to move with his or her children to a new place following separation or divorce as captured the attention of judicial, legal, and mental health professionals. Because relocation, in general, results in reduced conduct between children and nonmoving parents, such cases can result in anger, litigation especially if nonmoving parents were the core in playing the major role of up bring the children.

This case study try to capture all the issues ranging from parent relocation, psychological, emotional and social impact of separation or divorced to the life of children and also parents who have divorced in trying to adapt to a new life, ranging from impact on economic who they will raise the kids individually unlike before, social life how they will fix both parent responsibilities in trying to instill that social life to the children and psychological life, who they will live either less stressed or more stressed than before divorce. This case study involves children between ages of infant years to 5 years and their divorced parents who, in one way or another are the role model, mentors, breadwinners, caregivers of these children. How to the divorce impact the growth of a child without a nonmoving parent, the mental status of these children.

The history of divorce dates the late 1550s, where a marriage lasted for only 20yrs and those who were involved were forced to seek the legal way of separation, which related to the terming it has divorced. The story of divorce and implications involved with it really dramatizes those involved ranging from psychological, physical and mental effects, and this has been witnessed on several situations in history to now, these effects range from suicide to death of those involve or impact those close involve negatively. Several scholars have done so many research concerning divorce and history of divorce, many of the scholars do not in any way advocate for divorce because of its outcome which has a lot of negative impact than positive impact

In our case study, we will be focusing on the divorce of parents and the implications that it has on children and parents themselves when they make that decision of breaking up.

Growth of Parent-Child Relationship

Children and parent relationship pass through four stages these are: indiscriminate social responsiveness, discriminating sociability, attachment and goal corrected partenership.during the first three stages from birth to approximately to 2years, young children learn to discriminate among children, and their caregivers under extensive interaction with them and slowly grow an emotional attachment to them.

In the first four months, children indiscriminately accept any caregiver and use a repertoire of innate signals involving crying or smiling to bring and keep in touch with their caregivers (Su, 2017). The relief stress from being hungry or pain and developing interest to adult vocalization and facial expression are the building pillars for more discriminating attachment. Because children at this stage have very primitive memories and cognitive processes, they cannot retain the images of their caregivers in case they are absent (Iguacel et al., 2016). During this stage, frequent interaction is needed to make a successful procession to attachment stage formation; due to this, parents become strangers to their children if they become regular in contact and when caregiving is not possible.

In the second stage (discriminating sociability), children of around 5months to 12months recognize their parents and caregivers and mostly prefer interaction with them. They also start to anticipate caregivers and react to their signals, although they do not know that people continue to exist when they are with them. Children at this stage start and enjoy social interaction (Su, 2017).

In the attachment stage between 12months and 24months, attachments become increasingly apparent, as children prefer to be near and interact with their caregivers, who are easily interacted with strangers. This is a piece of clear evidence that many children form several attachments.

In the final stage of attachment (goal corrected partnership) formation, which is from 2years, children understand why parents cannot be around them most of the time. At this stage, there is increased cognitive, and language capability enable them to withstand distant separation from their parents without more stress. Although their primitive sense of time can prevent them from interpreting much beyond today and tomorrow, this prevents their ability to withstand longer separation of much time either a week or a month. Definitely separation at this age becomes a challenge; interactions to both parents are better consolidated. Children can have an internal image of their parents, and children can communicate more meaningful with long distant parents.

The Lengthier Range Reputation of keeping Parent-Child Relationship

The relationship with parents continues to play an important part in impacting children’s social, emotional, and cognitive growth into the middle stage and adolescence. There are also signs there is an undeviating relationship between age of parting, and later add-on quality in adolescents, with the weakest attachment parents testified by those whose parents parted in 4years (Beal & Greiner, 2016). Investigation has revealed that on regular children are advantaged from being brought up by two biological parents or adoptive parent families rather than separated divorced; or never married, single-parent homes.in this context it should be noted that more recent studies indicate that on average non-custodial fathers now spend substantially more time with their children after divorce than they did in the past. Sex and age maybe some of the crucial factors as well. Males and young kids in one study could better adjust with frequent and regular contact with their fathers, and girls can do and grown-up children. The distant relationship between parents and kids has a lot of impact on their growth, which can affect mentally, socially, and in many aspects of life.

Legal advocacy can be of great benefit to this divorce and relocation issues that have a lot of impact on children and parental issues (Anderson, 2016). Case laws has made it quite hard for parents who play major role in children upbringing, even when those parents get married again or had better economic opportunities in their new place. Court noted that a custodial parent relocation is not in any way circumstances supporting alteration of parenting strategies, but court should intervene in a situation where children’s best interest might be affected in a situation of relocation.in order situation of court advocacy parents can have the upper hand by not stating the reasons for relocation even the children interest might be affected by this relocation, but instead, nonmoving parents who are opposed to moving should prove the implication of this movement to the children or if there will be any harm to them (Beal & Greiner, 2016). Through this legal advocacy children benefit as they are protected from any harm by the law as their relocation is highly scrutinized and their security is guaranteed because they are given priority in court decision. With the change in laws custodial parents who wish to move to get a better hearing as compared to nonmoving parent in case, he or she wants to relocate.

In general legal advocacy is of great importance as it guarantees the security of the kids, and their interest is highly protected.

Some of the legal strategies that would be of great benefit to the individual in this case study. The rights of child should be protected by court of law and ensure that there interest highly protected and given priority. To nonmoving parent they should be considered in a situation where the evidence they bring before the legal justice should be scrutinized and its interest be determine it protects the interest of children it be of concern. To relocating, parents who are the custodian benefits in that court will provide them to relocate if the interest of children is protected.

Human service profession may have hard moments in trying to advocate for rights of individuals in this context, it can be hard for them to advocate for children’s right if the custodial parents advocates for movement even if the area of relocation might not be favorable children’s interest, in a situation of custodial parent who desires to move it will be so hard to advocate for their right in that nonmoving parent can block the relocation in case the evidence he or she brings before the court can hinder them from relocating, and nonmoving parents advocating for their rights can be tedious in that the legal courts can give the custodial parent an upper hand without having to state the reasons for relocation.in general it can be really hard for human service professionals to advocate for rights of this individuals due to conditions placed on each individual.

In conclusion, in relocation issues, it should be decided whether parents can move with their children, and if so, what access or how will this child will gather for financially and provision of their daily basic needs. Legal justices should intervene to ensure all rights of individuals who are affected by this issue are protected and accommodated in every situation.

References

Anderson, J. (2014). The impact of family structure on the health of children: Effects of divorce. The Linacre Quarterly, 81(4), 378-387.

Beal, S. J., & Greiner, M. V. (2016). Children in nonparental care: health and social risks. Pediatric Research, 79(1), 184-190.

Iguacel, I., Fernandez-Alvira, J. M., Bammann, K., De Clercq, B., Eiben, G., Gwozdz, W., … & Veidebaum, T. (2016). Associations between social vulnerabilities and dietary patterns in European children: the Identification and prevention of Dietary-and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infants (IDEFICS) study. British Journal of Nutrition, 116(7), 1288-1297.

Su, X. (2017). Divorce Effects. The Encyclopedia of Juvenile Delinquency and Justice, 1-4