Category: Divorce

Introduction

Globally, in approximately four decades between 1970 and 2008, the divorce rate has been doubled, from 2.6 divorces for every 1,000 married people to 5.5. Those results are averaged across all the regions of the world that they studied (DePaulo, 2019).

Unemployment is defined as a situation where someone of working age is not able to get a job but would like to be in a full time job (Pettinger, 2019) Unemployment is crucial economic indicator because it alarms the capability of workers to readily obtain gainful work (Chappellow, 2020). Unemployment usually occurs when someone is passionately seeking for a job and unable to find. It is generally used to measure how healthy the economy is.

The consequences of the business period are usually measured in terms of unemployment rates or poverty indicator. It was established that unemployment leads to conjugal and family instability that’s why starting a family is becoming less popular and the divorce rate is rising up (Kontrafouri, 2019). Accordingly, it is common nowadays that unemployment and financial compression put pressure on relationships and increase the risk of divorce and separation that can lead to suicide. However, financial pressures are considered as one of the chief marital shattering balls.

Furthermore, husbands and fathers are opposing a higher risk of divorce when they don’t sustain their family’s needs by being part of full time job.

This paper aims to shed light whether unemployment rates affects divorce rates or not. Some countries believe that unemployment has a great impact on divorce rates and some thinks it’s just a normal reason like the other reasons. This Paper highlights the problem from a global perspective by including United States, Spain and UK. Additionally the national aspect will be considered by assessing the cases in my home country Egypt and also the local perspective part will be collected by doing and interview with a lawyer.

Uk Divorce rate

The rate of weddings finished by divorce has raised, 33% of marriages from 1995 has finished at the 15th ceremony (haines, 2018). Moreover the predicted rate ends in divorce is 42% and half of them habitual to exist in the premier 10 years of marriage (haines, 2018).

Divorce rate for men and wives has reduced crosswise every age category except age 60 and above (haines, 2018). Greater number of divorces of different sex pairs in 2017 about 62% were asked by the wife (haines, 2018).Furthermore the utmost familiar mind was senseless behavior with 42% and the separation after it with 27% adultery with 15% (haines, 2018).

To wrap up the majority of divorce cases in UK not related to money Nor work it has other reasons

U.S. DIVORCE RATE

Divorce has always been a part of the American society but now on decline and has been since 1980 in America (LUSCOMBE, 2018).All millanials are choosing to wait longer to get married so that they can feel financially secure (LUSCOMBE, 2018). However, money issues may not be the top cause of divorce but it is the fourth one and it is considered one of the 5 top causes (drjim, 2019).Money issues can make couples crack up because money is so important and touches many people’s heart. It can wreck a marriage in so many different ways. Different spending habits and different financial goals can put a strain on a marriage (drjim, 2019). Money can become a power struggle and any change in income can increase stress, sometimes lack of money is because the employments not both of them working and the bills are more than the salary, may be because the unemployment rate is high and there’s no enough employments with good salaries.

Why is the divorce rate in Spain so high?

Rates increased due to the empowerment of women and their independence. Most of the men can’t find work and starting to be the breadwinners and women started to have a more domestic position that’s why the marriage rate is lower than the divorce rate. The rate of marriages ending in divorce has ascended to 65 percent since divorce was legalized in 1981 and divorce system was eased in 2005 through a government bill (Kontrafouri, 2019).

Spain has the highest divorce rate following Luxemburg. Victor Martin Organista, a Madrid attorney, said that even after divorce became legal it is still a very problematic long-winded process but then it became faster (Kontrafouri, 2019).

Divorce rates, according to Spain’s National Statistics Institute, are steadily going up in the age group of 40-49, the group that accounts for close to half of all divorces in Spain (Kontrafouri, 2019). However, after age of 40 kids are grown up and more independent so the couples find themselves face to face again so they start arguing, some people start asking if this person is the right one to complete the second half of their life with or not.

Nowadays a lot of young people avoid thinking about marriage as they think it is an impossible deal because it is a great responsibility they prefer to be an un married partners until they have a baby after that they start thinking about taking this step but if you don’t have a job or a monthly income it will be very hard to create a family.

National perspective

Egypt’s social solidarity minister has said that the number of divorce cases in Egypt has increased over the past decade from around 100,000 to a record of 186,000 (El-Din, 2018). According to the president, research suggests that 40% of marriages end within the first 5 years (Reda, 2019) Wali accredits that the rise in divorce cases in Egypt is due to the tough economic conditions and low employment rates, she stated that “people who marry but their low incomes don’t help them live an honorable life mostly end up with divorce” (El-Din, 2018).

More than 4 million divorced women and 9 million children became victims of family separation (Dr, 2019). According to official statistics, Egypt ranks first among world countries in divorce, with more than 250 divorces per day (Dr, 2019). Another cause of this aspect is misuse of technology and social networking sites many couples became addicted to the internet. A study has confirmed that among serious effects of the internet is the breakdown of the marital relationships in addition to many other effects mental illnesses and others (Dr, 2019).

One of the positive impacts is that there is about 41% of 18-29 year olds in serious relationships that felt closer to their partner because of the online conversations (LENHART, 2014). However, there is a lot of negative impacts as an example 42% between the ages of 18 to 29 that olds in serious relationships say that their partner has been distracted by their mobile phone while they were together (LENHART, 2014). Another point is that 18% of the online couples have argued about the amount of time spent online (LENHART, 2014).

Jealousy plays a huge role Marlyn Wei a psychiatric agreed to studies related social media usage with marriage, one of them said that high usage of Facebook can trigger jealousy since that in Facebook you see the other’s friends and another one such as being jealous from another couples (Biarezky, 2019 ) To sum up young adults are more likely to report that the internet has had an impact on their relationship 45% of internet users ages between 18 to 29 in serious relationships say the internet has had an impact on their relationship, while just one in ten online adults 65 and older say the same (LENHART, 2014)

Contrasting perspectives

Divorce has always been a part of the society in the U.S, the reasons behind divorce gather around more than one reason but money issues is one of the top 5 reasons may be from the weak salaries or excessive spending. Moreover, the society in Spain also is having a very high divorce rate even when it is a problematic long-wined process. However, the Egyptian government believes that besides the money issues, there is another aspect which is the social media aspect. Moreover the United Kingdom says that the familiar reason is senseless behavior this was the main reason of divorce in the United Kingdom.

Local perspective part

An Interview was conducted with George Malak a lawyer and council in law. I asked him as I thought he will serve my paper because he studied law and he is aware of what’s going on, also because he is a lawyer that saw a lot of divorce cases and would help me. I asked him some simple questions; first question was how much divorce rates increased in Egypt has? The answer was from 1996 to 2017 it was about 1.2 per 1000 marriages but starting 2017 it increased to 2.2 per 1000 marriages. Second question was why in your opinion the divorce rate has increased in Egypt? He said there are many reasons but one of the most common reasons between different generations is that life expenses are very expensive and increasing day after day that’s why the young generation is avoiding getting married because more than 50% of this generation can’t find a good job. Another question was what is the government doing to help these generations? The government is trying to provide job opportunities to whoever can’t find a job and trying to provide cheap apartments to anyone who can’t afford to buy and expensive one.

He was so helpful he answered all my questions and they were very direct and to the point briefly he said that unemployment may be one of the main reasons behind divorce.

Personal perspective and evaluation

Before conducting the research I thought that the divorce is a family separation that no one can help in it. I thought that the main reason behind divorce is that they don’t love each other I never thought about the money issues or even that the money issues may be the reason behind separating a family.

Due to my religion I never saw a divorced family that’s why I didn’t know what they feel or the reasons behind their divorce. But after conducting this research I found out that divorce has many reasons and money is one of the main big issues of divorce and avoiding marriage between young people.

After referring el ahram online and a national journal that have served my paper a lot and I found out that the government is developing a comprehensive program to address the problem of high divorce rates in Egypt. I can see that Essam el Din has developed his point of view and he always write about everything happens in Egypt he has wrote about 52 nominees battling for a place.

Another reference that I was amazed about was couples, the internet and social media that was written by Amanda Lenhart is addressing teens in more than 118 articles she is very professional she has contributed a lot of articles for example teens and sexting and a lot more she was proofing how internet could have a good or bad effect in any relationship.

Problems and causes

I can see that the problem in all countries is that they are not trying to help they are accepting divorce in all cases that’s why young people are avoiding getting married. Marrying someone or having a relationship is a great responsibility that we should now a take care of it.

Governments need to do awareness campaigns to teenagers about how to save money and how to spend their money in an organized way, when it comes to work the companies should start providing more positions whether to a man or a woman and maybe to start giving internships to students under graduate to help them more , money issues banks can give a specific amount of money to newly graduates to help them start their own business and lives. Giving internships and providing more spots to teenagers and undergraduates will help a lot and will give them hope.

Introduction

Divorce is something that nobody ever imagines themselves having to go through, but unfortunately, nobody can control what happens throughout life. Couples grow apart for many different reasons such as emotional distress, cheating, and many other contributing factors. Marriage is a goal in life for most individuals, but life happens, and marriage does not always last. Analyzing and comparing the divorce rates between different countries can provide some insight as to some factors and influences on marriage in areas that may be more successful and others where it lacks to withstand all the things life can throw at our lives. There are many variables to consider such as religious views, the population per country the rate of divorce, and others.

Divorce in the United States

In the United States, the divorce rate has steadily reduced depending on the age range that is being considered. “Divorce rates are different for different social classes. People with more income and more education have lower divorce rates” (DePaulo, 2017). The top 6 reasons for divorce in the United States are infidelity, money problems, battles with addiction, along extraordinary situations such as the death of a child, incompatibility, and irreconcilable differences. Infidelity is the number one cause of divorces in the United States, whether physical or emotional because it destroys the initial foundation that was once built between spouses. Monetary issues can apply a great deal of pressure and stress to a relationship by building tension which then causes unnecessary fights. “Another money-related issue with the rise of successful women is that they are out-earning their spouses in increasing numbers. This ‘modernizing’ can be tough for even the most enlightened couples — and can cause a relationship to derail as well” (Ghandi, 2017). Most relationships start a mutual connection that later grows and ends as such once couples determine that their significant other is no longer the right match for them because their views no longer align or they simply grow apart. Americans have the freedom of choice when it comes to who they will spend the rest, or just a few years, of their life with which ultimately leaves a lot of room for error in relationships. More often than not, many marriages fail and the couple has tried every possibility that they had to make it work. Although the majority religious view mainly being Christian, divorce is still a very large aspect of American society. The divorce rate is currently at 49% in America with a total population of 325.7 million.

Divorce in Germany

As of 2017, the total population of Germany is 82.79 million and the divorce rate is at 41%, which is significantly lower than what it has been in the past. Marriage has become more of a lasting arrangement as couples are staying together and working through any trial and tribulation they are put up against. It has been noted that marriages in Germany are now extending more than 15 years on average. This change has occurred throughout the European Union as couples who get married are proving that no situation can be overcome within marriage as long as both sides are willing to work through it. With the main religion being Christianity, it is in correlation to why the divorce rate could be declining due to the country’s religious standings.

Divorce in Spain

Some would assume that Spain would have a lower divorce rate since its national religion is Catholic, but that would not be the case. “The divorce rate in Spain is the highest in Europe with three out of every four Spanish marriages now ending in divorce” (Seriously Spanish). New laws being introduced, and a failing economy has greatly impacted society and contributed to the incline of the divorce rate in Spain. Divorce used to be unobtainable in this country so many couples would just separate and continue living their lives with other people while still legally being bound to their spouse. This change permitted those who were “stuck” in their marriage to conclude that part of their life and begin another bringing the divorce rate in Spain to more than 60% while containing a total population of 46.57 million.

Conclusion

These three countries and their people have evolved and grown along with their rates of divorce over the years, but some are faster than others. Spain taking the top spot of the group with the highest divorce rate seems to be understandable simply because divorce is no longer restricted for the country. From a psychological standpoint, the best advice to give would be that just because something appears to be good doesn’t guarantee that it is a good thing. Couples who have experienced trials and tribulations with each other should reflect on why they decided to be together and commit to one another initially. Rediscovering the foundation of the relationship that brought the two of them together will allow the spouses to ignite the spark between them and restore their hope and determination to move forward as a unit rather than separate. After reflecting and attempting to restore the love and hope in the relationship, if the couple mutually agrees that it would be for the better to separate then that would be when divorce would need to be discussed. Personally, couples should never call it quits until it is decided that there is nothing left, and trying to make it work would only create more tension and distance between them. Regardless of whatever a couple could be facing, if the love between them is strong then there is nothing that cannot be conquered through unity once the bond and foundation are rediscovered and reconstructed. Engaging in outside therapy for couples or individuals can also aid the couple in discovering underlying issues and applying healthy techniques to address and overcome whatever issues may arise within the sessions over time.

References:

1. DePaulo, B. (2017, February 2). What Is the Divorce Rate? Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-single/201702/what-is-the-divorce-rate-really
2. Ghandi, B. (2017, October 25). 6 major reasons why people divorce. Retrieved November 19, 2019, from https://www.today.com/health/why-couples-get-divorced-t117476
3. What is the Divorce Rate in Spain? (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://seriouslyspain.com/what-is-the-divorce-rate-in-spain
4. Marriages prove enduring in Germany as the divorce rate falls. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2019, from http://www.dpa-international.com/topic/marriages-prove-enduring-germany-divorce-rate-falls-170711-99-199835
5. Worldwide Divorce Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2019, from http://divorce.com/worldwide-divorce-statistics/
6. Population United States Spain Germany 325.7 46.57 82.79
7. Divorce Rate United States Spain Germany 0.49 0.62 0.41

In the United States, there is one divorce approximately every 36 seconds. That is nearly 2,400 divorces per day, 16,800 divorces per week and 876,000 divorces a year (Irvin, 2012). Divorce is experienced much more than is realized. It is experienced, seen, and studied; however, the thought of who it affects is never automatically thought about. In all likelihood, scholars will continue to debate whether divorce has a casual effect on children, partly because of the impossibility of doing experimental research on this topic. Nevertheless, it is self-evident that divorce changes children’s lives in major ways” (Amato, 2010, p. 657). There are many precursors that predict divorce, however they are not the guaranteed reasons for it. The specific predictors change the lives of many.

The changes affect the lives of the divorcees, the families of the divorcees, the children in that household, and the social groups that the family is involved in. Amato (2010) explained how most individuals think of divorce as a single transition, and fail to realize the series of transitions. The number of familial structure transitions during childhood directly associates with the behavior problems of children. He also explained how spouses that initiate divorce finds immediate satisfaction and relief, whereas the partner does not find happiness until they remarry. In conclusion, marrying as a teenager, unemployment, low level of education, living with a spouse before marriage, premarital birth, and marrying a different race are all predictions of cause for divorce; however, they do not directly cause it. Bronfenbrenner (1986) explained how environmental aspects affect intrafamilial processes over the period of a lifespan. He answered the main question of how intrafamilial processes are affected by environmental conditions versus relying directly on parent-child interaction. He studied environments, genetic information, and links between family and settings/environments. Settings include but are not limited to hospitals, daycare/school, peer groups, social networks for both parents and children, work for both parents and children, neighbors, and public policies. He explains how the external influences either affect the development of children in a negative or positive way. There is a degree of differentiation that results from the impact of those influences.

Marrying young is a major reason that leads to divorce. It is not ensuring everyone who marries young will end up getting divorced; however, it is a pretty reasonable conclusion. Young couples often have not learned or explored enough to find who they really are outside of a relationship. “Data on the year of final separation were obtained through court records or personal testimony from all 56 couples who were known to be divorced. Ten couples were classified as quickly divorced because they divorced before the third wave of data collection, which took place shortly after what would have been their second wedding anniversary. This group terminated their marriage before all the early marital data had been collected and, thus, were included only in the analyses of newlywed data. The divorced–early group consisted of 21 couples who divorced between 2 and 7 years after they were married, whereas the divorced–later group consisted of 25 couples whose marriages lasted at least 7 years” (Huston). Unemployment can often lead to divorce, because it can cause disagreements in regards to income and the amount of weight each person pulls. In college, we learn how to think critically. Our levels of education increase as we gain knowledge and ability. We use these skills to solve problems and assist in the tasks of everyday life. If an individual goes to college and learns these skills, and the other partner does not, it is hard to reach conclusions. It is difficult for the two individuals to see evenly, communicate effectively using critical thinking, and reach decisions that are reasonable. Premarital birth is another predictor of divorce. If an individual may not be ready for that commitment, then they get pregnant.

They enter into marriage with their primary focus on the child, even though the two people are not necessarily compatible. When the child needs them, it works, but as the child grows and becomes less dependent on the parents. As a result, the focus of the parents shifts and end up realizing that they do not live together very well.

I completely agree that there are factors that cannot guarantee divorce, but there are some factors that can predict divorce. Everyone is different so certain factors cannot be concrete, but the probabilities of some factors are higher than others. When divorce happens, it changes the lives of the people getting divorced, along with the children of the divorcees, the friend groups, parents and families of the divorcees, and workplace. The people getting divorced rarely agree on the event being mutually beneficial. Most of the time one of the individuals has hurt or anger towards the other individual.

When this happens, one individual is relieved to be out of the relationship, and the other individual will not reach satisfaction or peace until they remarry/recommit. Their lives change because they go from living together and having to work together, to being independent again. The children go from having both parents within reach to having to go back and forth and be shared between the two. Life becomes a lot more difficult and the child(ren) go through emotional trouble as well. They sometimes feel as if they need to pick sides. The relatives of the divorcees go through this pattern of welcoming someone into the family just to have them not a part of it anymore. They get used to the individual coming over for holidays and to hang out, and then they just stop coming over. Friend groups are affected because the two divorcees usually go out together, and then they may feel as if they lost a friend, or they have to choose. The social groups are affected by the decision of the couple. The work place is affected because when going through difficult situations, their work ethics are altered.

Many aspects of life are altered; however, if the divorcees actually communicate, then it could be worked out. If the people getting divorced cannot communicate, argue, are petty, expect family and friends to pick sides, then there are going to be even bigger conflicts. “The results suggest that if parents perceive that friends, family members, and important others are blaming the ex-partner for transgressions and are speaking negatively about the ex-partner, it is harder for parents to forgive the other parent, which seems to be one important relational mechanism in the explanation of the maintenance and escalation of conflicts between divorced parents. While our studies shed light on one potential mechanism underlying the link between perceived social network disapproval and co- parenting conflicts, other mechanisms seem possible” (Margreet, et al., 3063).

Introduction:

An anonymous quote states: ‘F.A.M.I.L.Y is one of the strongest words anyone can say because it’s said that it stands for: ‘Father and Mother I Love You!!”. Whether residing together or separated, the family constitutes an essential social unit, consisting of the parent(s) and their offspring. Parents play a vital role in the emotional growth of children. They help them define who they are as human beings and influence how each adapts to societal norms. From birth, infants rely on parents for protection, emotionally and physically and the parent’s primary role has always been to guide their kids and to ensure that their needs are satisfied.

In the past, divorce was viewed as an immoral event; it was considered a social disgrace, especially if children were involved. Today, many people divorce for multiple reasons. Marriage is perceived by many as a contract rather than a commitment made before God. But how much does divorce impact the lives of children involved? In what ways are children affected and how will the effects show outwardly? Children, regardless of age, require some level of loyalty, trust, security, safety, and a sense of belonging. They experience different levels of psychological trauma during and after the divorce process. Studies have shown that children who experience divorce often have an increase in antisocial behavior, anxiety, and depression, along with increased offending and aggressive behavior. Self-blame and abandonment fears are also known as contributing factors. Depending on how parents handle the divorce process these feelings can easily diminish within a child.

5 years old Adam was uncontrollable even impulsive as one of his teachers described him. He was hurting everyone around him and when asked for the reason behind this behavior, he had no answer. Adam was also having difficulty keeping friends. Until his father, when picking him up from school, stated that he and his wife were getting a divorce and that Adam was spending the weekends with his mom whom he depends a lot on. His father mentioned as well that Adam was crying every evening and couldn’t sleep for fear that his father would go away too. The following case study seeks to examine if Adam is growing mentally and emotionally as a child his age, five years old, should be maturing according to many theorists and people who have studied child development for many years. It seeks to examine as well the effects of divorce on children’s well-being and will assess the extent to which divorce contributes to children’s behavior problems.

Emotional Development:

Blom (2004) explains that divorce causes grieving reactions in children that can manifest in different kinds of behavior, for example, temper tantrums, depression, poor school performance, psychosomatic complaints, and interpersonal conflict. Grieving children often fear rejection, abandonment, loss, isolation or not having their basic needs met. Their understanding of what this means will be shaped by their age and stage of development, but what is known is that children of all ages will show several commonly experienced signs of grief.

Of all the effects of divorce on children, school performance has been the most reported and emphasized. Studies report a noticeable decline in school performance as well as social adjustment. These studies were marked by decreased concentration in class and increased aggression on the playground which we can both notice in Adam’s case where he was having problems at school and was losing complete control of his temper and lashing out violently at those around him. Additionally, keeping friends was something hard for Adam to do which is reflected in two key examples of the emotional and psychological trauma that Adam was facing: “anger and frustration”. These feelings are often connected to insecurities and fears. The fact that a child who has to witness their home fall apart can create levels of uncertainty and fear about the future. Children often experience stress when their parents divorce because the biggest fear for children is change. And with divorce, changes will occur in many household responsibilities. So, Adam noticed that the family he had always known would be different. Usually, children become attached to parents, brothers, sisters, and pets. Change in contact with any of these people can cause some distress so they will experience the loss of attachment. As proof, Adam was a dependent child on his mother, he needed and wanted to be with her. That’s why Adam would cry as soon as he left her home on the weekends. Another noticeable emotional development for Adam was the fear of abandonment where the child fears that if he has lost one parent, he may lose the other. Consequently, he will start blaming himself, feeling unlovable, or not feeling safe. All these feelings were translated into Adam’s sad nights which he spent crying without getting enough sleep.

In conclusion, parental ability to recover from the distress of separation affects the children’s ability to adjust. Quality contact with the non-residential parent can improve the children’s emotional well-being (Hooper, 2005). Therefore; if Adam’s parents deal with their divorce wisely, Adam will improve and grow socially and emotionally developmental wise.

Family structure:

Over the past two decades or so, many pieces of research have been done on the impact of family structure and family change on child wellbeing. The results show that children raised in different family contexts display differential patterns of outcomes across a wide range of developmental domains. In particular, children raised in single-parent families have been found, on average, to do less well across a range of measures of well-being than their peers in two-parent families, while parental separation is associated with an array of unfavorable outcomes for children.

Many of the reported effects of parental separation on child well-being are based on observations that are taken in the short term. However, other studies have inspected effects over longer-term durations, some into adulthood. While there is evidence that time heals many of the difficulties that children encounter as a result of parental separation, there is also evidence that some effects are persistent and enduring.

Chase-Lansdale and Hetherington (1990) found that during the first two years after a divorce both children and adults experienced pragmatic, physical, and emotional problems as well as declines in family functioning. By two years after the divorce, most of the families had made significant adjustments, although among children there were variations by age and gender. However, Chase-Lansdale et al. (1995) found that parental divorce had negative consequences for the mental health of some offspring that persisted into adulthood. But, even if many children do not experience mental health disorders according to a clinical diagnosis, there is no doubt that for most it causes pain and sadness in their lives. Amato and DeBoer (2001) found that parental divorce approximately doubled the odds that children’s marriages would end in divorce. These increased odds appear to be the result of a long chain of effects. Children of separated parents are more likely to engage in early-onset sexual activity, leave home at an early age, enter into an intimate partnership at an earlier age as well as become young parents.

It is not a surprise that family structure is so controversial. The family is the institution children draw the most meaning from. From the day they are born, it gives them their identity, their language, and their expectations about how the world should work. Before children become individuals or citizens, they are the first and foremost part of a family.

Cognitive Development:

According to Mooney (2013), Piaget developed the Preoperational Stage of cognitive development which applies to children between the ages of two and seven years old. Using Piaget’s research and theory, this stage begins when the child starts to use symbols and language. It is a period of developing language and concepts where speech becomes more social and less egocentric. Piaget believed that children take an active role in the learning process, acting much like title scientists as they perform experiments, make observations, and learn about the world. As kids interact with the world around them, they continually add new knowledge, build upon existing knowledge, and adapt previously held ideas to accommodate new information. Here, the children base their knowledge on what they feel or sense to be true, yet they cannot explain the underlying principles behind what they feel or sense.

While analyzing Adam’s case, I have seen each of these characteristics was affected in one way or another. Because of his parents’ divorce, Adam wasn’t feeling comfortable expressing his natural emotions through productive and uninterrupted free-thinking time. At age 5, a child’s language skills will be growing each day and he will be learning to try new things on his own with the idea that he can always ask for help. In Adam’s case and because of the absence of maternal guidance most of the time, he was developing cognitively less than his peers who were living with their parents. The fact that Adam was losing his temper and acting violently is another effect of his parent’s divorce. However, it is likely that he will continue to improve upon this skill as he ages and adds more words to his vocabulary so he can better explain what is bothering him before it causes massive problems for him in school.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, researchers have found that a child’s adjustment is based upon the psychological health of their parents, the relationship they have with their parents, and their environment. In summation, it may not be the act of divorce that creates the psychological and emotional stress within the family, but rather, how divorce is handled both before the separation and after the divorce is enacted. In the book, The Rights of a Child in Separation and Divorce (Prall, 2000), professionals state that parents can provide their children with a basis for their hopes and expectations if children are told that their mother and father still love them and will never divorce them. They must know that the divorce is not their fault and not to be told about the adult problems that caused it. Moreover; children should be treated as human beings – not as another piece of property to be quarreled over, bargained over, or threatened. Additionally, children must make decisions about them based on their best interests. They should have the right to love both parents without being forced to choose or feel guilty and they shouldn’t be hearing bad, hurtful comments about either of the parents, which have no useful purpose. In conclusion, parents can follow some guidelines to minimize the impact of their divorce on their children and set their attitude from the start in their best interest them.

Reflection:

This case study has taught me a lot about how children of divorce act and why they do the things they do. By Analyzing Adam’s case for specific characteristics in the areas of cognitive and emotional growth, I was able to bring the lectures and information from class to life and am thrilled to be able to say I am leaving this class with the understanding of how a preschool-aged child is affected by the divorce of his parents.

By completing this case study, I was able to accomplish a lot. I now have a much better idea of how a 5 years old child whose parents are separated is cognitively and emotionally developed. And if I have a similar case at school, I will be able to deal with it easily. But if I teach a different grade, I have a very good idea of where the child has been and what he/she already went through.

The rise of industrialization has brought a shift from extended family towards nuclear family due to the changing needs of the family, which were to be able to move freely around to places where there were employment opportunities (functionalism approach). (Waugh et al,2008).

Moreover, the events that occurred in the 20th century like world war II (1940) with the shortage of men in workplaces, the growing number of office jobs in 1920, and the Great Depression in 1930 have contributed to the entrance of women into the workforce, hence changing the marital division of labor.

Although the American Society equates marriage to monogamy, around 78% of other cultures have accepted polygamy which means being married to more than one person, with polygyny (a man married to more than one woman at the time) being the dominant one. In the United States, bigamy which consists of entering into another marriage while still being married to another person is illegal and socially unacceptable in more states. (University of Minnesota, 2010).

However, some religions like those of the Mormons faith, Muslims and most states in Africa (mostly for wealthy men, having more than one wife is also related to having more power) accept polygamy in their culture but nowadays, the percentage of people entering polygamy has steadily decreased, with more people getting into education and accessing mass media and technology.

Besides the cultural differences, the family has had some structural changes. The initial structure of the family considered in our study is the nuclear family which represents the ideal type in the United States and to sociological approaches like functionalism and New Right.

In recent years there has been a rise in variations of nuclear family with an increase in the divorce rate. According to the data from Wilcox (2009), the main events that contributed to that increase were industrialization, the great depression, and World War II; after that, the divorce rate dropped sharply in the 1950s, before rising sharply again around the 1960s and 1970s. Today the divorce rate has declined but it is slightly higher than its peak during World War II.

The reasons for divorce in those days could be the economic distress people were going through at that time and the family disruption caused by the war, the change in the divorce law resulting in more people applying to legally end their marriage example: The Divorce Reform Act 1969 with a new ground for divorce: irretrievable breakdown, the Matrimonial Family Proceedings Act in 1984 that reduced the amount of time couples have to be married before applying for divorce from 3 to 1 year).

The increase in divorce rate as well as the rise in several never-married women have contributed to the rise in single-parent families consisting of single parenthood (Allan and Crow, 2001 cited Waugh et al, 2008). According to the National Statistics (2007), the percentage of children living in lone-parent families in Great Britain more than tripled to 24% between 1972 and 2006. The death of a partner is included among the factors leading to single-parenthood. It is important to state that the children living in single parenthood are often in contact with their other parent not living with them and the other partner who remarried or cohabit with the parent whom they live with.

Cohabitation is when a couple is in a relationship without being married. In 2005 the proportion of people aged under 60 years old cohabiting in the United Kingdom doubled the one recorded in 1986. Some of the reason triggering cohabitation is the decline in the live in sin stigma that existed in the past as well as the decline in the influence of religion.

The last factor of change in family structure in our studies is the legalization of gay and lesbian families. In the past being gay or lesbian was considered a shame, although some people were living in same-sex relationships; nowadays gays and lesbians people can marry legally and adopt children and the research has proven their parenting not to be less effective than what is expected from normal parenthood, in gay and lesbian families, commitment is more negotiated than other types because they have what he terms “chosen family” (Week et al, 1999 cited by Waugh et al, 2008).

In summary, we can say that despite the structural changes and the cultural differences in the concept of family, the family still exists and takes its meaning according to the different contexts where it is placed. This matches with the symbolic interactionism view in which family is a concept that is subject to the flow of social norms and ever-changing meanings.

Introduction

According to the American Psychological Association, 40% to 50% of married couples in America go through a divorce. (USA Today, 2019) Divorce is common in America and is constantly increasing, with six out of ten divorces having children involved. (Freebackgroundchecks.com, 2006) As stated by multiple sources this action has been known to affect a child’s behavior. Society tends to blame the child’s attitude on the child just acting out phase when the cause or background to the child’s act out is not being analyzed. Being able to identify the effects that divorce has on a child’s behavior brings awareness to many parents on why their child behaves the way that they do. Identifying whether it has a bigger effect on younger or older children. This research is meant not only to educate parents on the effect of their actions but also to help educators and the education system understand how to approach children with this issue. Providing the child with the support they need. Through quantitative applied analysis this research will lead to uncovering whether divorce affects children at a young age. In an attempt to identify if the percentage of a younger child affected negatively is higher than the one of an older child.

Literature Review

In 2008, Shannon E. Cavanagh and C. Huston discussed in their article the findings of the NICHD SECCYD study. A longitudinal study was done to evaluate early childcare and youth development, that followed selected families from when the mother gave birth to mid-childhood. (Wiley.com, 2008) They found that divorce can bring stress to the family as a whole and cause that stress to transfer to the child. “This stress, in turn, can disrupt children’s sense of security and feelings of connectedness with parents and create ambiguity in family relationships, household rules, and parental expectations.” (Wiley.com, 2008) One of the main effects that are found throughout many of the research that has been conducted within other studies relates to stress particularly. This study was done in 2008, and recent statistic from 2018 still correlates with the findings of this study. According to Sophia Wright children, that experience divorce present long-term impacts as well as short-term impacts. This once again not only causes stress, but also causes aggression, trouble concentrating, and academic grades. (Freebackgroundchecks.com, 2006) Both of these findings mention the way that the child is negatively affected not only mentally but emotionally and physically. It is statistically proven that 35% of children living with both biological parents are healthier than those who live in a split household. (Freebackgroundchecks.com, 2006) Something not mentioned by current studies is the age at which a child is more vulnerable to feeling this change in their family, nor the way that a divorce can cause a personality change in the child. Being in a split household would mean that the child would have to stay with both parents separately. This can also cause a change in the child’s personality as they will switch personalities depending on the parent that they are with.

Research Question

What is the impact of a divorce on a child’s behavior at a young age?

Data Collection

The study will consist of an observational study with interviews, the observational study will be two weeks for each group individually. I selected this method because by doing an observational experiment I will get to see the child’s true behavior play out. An observational experiment is the best way to view someone’s true behavior in their “natural habitat” If I do an experiment in which the child is aware, that I am watching their behavior it is more likely that they won’t reflect their true behavior. The cons of doing this method would mean that I have to be careful with this method and the extra data that I collect since observational studies are not always the best way to determine cause and effect. Notes will be reordered on a notepad, in which I record how the child goes on with their day and jot down the child’s behavior to a certain encounter. I want to be able to do the study on children at a young age because I want to identify if age also plays a role in how it affects a child. I will have to receive consent from the parents to observe their kids. Informed consent letters will be sent home to allow parents to be aware that an observational study will be done to observe their child’s behavior daily for two weeks. This part might be an obstacle to the study since I will not be able to proceed without the consent of all parents. The interview portion of the experiment will be done through a tape recorder, in which the parent’s answers to questions will be recorded. By interviewing the parents I will not only be able to see their facial expressions to their answers to certain questions, but it will also help me identify the child’s household status. Most adult’s facial expression gives away their feelings towards their partners feeling which will be something that I will also record. I will also request access to the participant’s transcript record of behavioral conduct from the school, but I will only request this access for participants that I am observing. The point of the transcript record of a child’s behavior is to not only observe the child’s behavior but also have an extra evidence record of the child’s already known behavior. My intentions are also to see if there is a present change of behavior on the child’s record if changes in their behavior were seen at some point. For the safety of my participants, their records will only be viewed by me, along with the recorded data of the observational study. Participants will all be assigned a number to keep their names anonymous when gathering, analyzing, and presenting the data. Since I will focus on two schools and within two classrooms of 25 students, I expect to have 100 participants who will be assigned a number 00-99 to replace their names. This will prevent the child from being exposed, which is also why I have chosen not to record the observational study section. Eligibility for the participants would be that they are in 1st or 3rd grade.

I will gather participants that are 1st and 3rd-grade children from two different elementary schools only focusing on one classroom for each grade in each school. My independent variable is divorce and the dependent variable is the child’s behavior. Being able to run the study on two elementary schools will raise the number of participants, I am uncertain that all children with bad behavior will have a history of a divorce. This may lead to some participants being eliminated from the study. I also chose two different grade levels, because I want to compare the difference in the children’s ages. Their behavior will be observed to view the way that they act, which will then be compared to their transcript, transcript records of which contain write-ups of missed conduct that the student has received. Those participants who present negative behavior and a transcript of a record of misconduct will be analyzed further by having their parents interviewed. Participants who present good behavior and a transcript with a clean record of misconduct will also be analyzed further by having their parents interviewed. Looking at both good and bad behavior within a child will help compare if the household status of the child shows a relationship with the way that the child is acting. Interviewing the parents will be a form of identifying whether the child has both parental figures at home. The interview that I conduct will be very basic with only two main questions asking; How many people live in the household? Does the child have both parental and maternal figures? Depending on the answer to the second question will determine whether the interview with the parents will proceed. Elevating to questions such as; Whether both parents have split custody? How many days/hours are both parents allowed to have the child with them at separate times? These questions will help me determine the child’s background story history, behavior transcript record, and notes recorded on observation.

Data Analyzes

I am trying to identify if there is a correlation between misbehavior and a divorce between parents. After gathering the information from all 100 participants, I will consider doing a table. I want to split the results into two groups, one grouping being the ones who showed bad behavior and whose parents also admitted having had a divorce and the other group being participants who reflected good behavior and whose parents admitted to still being together. Through a segment bar graph, I will be able to spot the difference in both groups and determine if a divorce does hurt the child’s behavior. This analysis will be done for each grade but will combine the classes from both schools based on a grade to see if the younger children have a higher percentage of negative effects due to the divorce or if an older child has a higher percentage of being negatively affected by the divorce. In other words, there will be two groups of 3rd graders good behavior and bad behavior and there will be 1st grader’s good behavior and bad behavior.

Implication/Significance

I expect that this study can reflect on society and the way a divorce can hurt a child at a younger age. As shown in the literature review these studies have reflected the way that a divorce can stress a child and have effects on them in the long run. Through the research prompt that I am proposing, I expect to prove that this impact is heavier on children of a younger age compared to children of an older age. Something that has not been shown in other studies. Not only will this research bring awareness to a parent and guide them towards trying to keep their child out of their divorce situation, but it will also educate society on how to approach these children. These studies should be one of the most attention-drawing because they shine a light on an extremely important topic that is harming children at a young age. Which has been causing not only mental but also physical effects on a child that can harm them as they continue to grow. With the constant increase in divorce, society should be alarmed about the way that this is going to affect many children. Being able to expand and proceed with this prompt in the future only provides more support to the current studies on how big this issue can become.

Introduction

Globally, in approximately four decades between 1970 and 2008, the divorce rate has been doubled, from 2.6 divorces for every 1,000 married people to 5.5. Those results are averaged across all the regions of the world that they studied (DePaulo, 2019).

Unemployment is defined as a situation where someone of working age is not able to get a job but would like to be in a full time job (Pettinger, 2019) Unemployment is crucial economic indicator because it alarms the capability of workers to readily obtain gainful work (Chappellow, 2020). Unemployment usually occurs when someone is passionately seeking for a job and unable to find. It is generally used to measure how healthy the economy is.

The consequences of the business period are usually measured in terms of unemployment rates or poverty indicator. It was established that unemployment leads to conjugal and family instability that’s why starting a family is becoming less popular and the divorce rate is rising up (Kontrafouri, 2019). Accordingly, it is common nowadays that unemployment and financial compression put pressure on relationships and increase the risk of divorce and separation that can lead to suicide. However, financial pressures are considered as one of the chief marital shattering balls.

Furthermore, husbands and fathers are opposing a higher risk of divorce when they don’t sustain their family’s needs by being part of full time job.

This paper aims to shed light whether unemployment rates affects divorce rates or not. Some countries believe that unemployment has a great impact on divorce rates and some thinks it’s just a normal reason like the other reasons. This Paper highlights the problem from a global perspective by including United States, Spain and UK. Additionally the national aspect will be considered by assessing the cases in my home country Egypt and also the local perspective part will be collected by doing and interview with a lawyer.

Uk Divorce rate

The rate of weddings finished by divorce has raised, 33% of marriages from 1995 has finished at the 15th ceremony (haines, 2018). Moreover the predicted rate ends in divorce is 42% and half of them habitual to exist in the premier 10 years of marriage (haines, 2018).

Divorce rate for men and wives has reduced crosswise every age category except age 60 and above (haines, 2018). Greater number of divorces of different sex pairs in 2017 about 62% were asked by the wife (haines, 2018).Furthermore the utmost familiar mind was senseless behavior with 42% and the separation after it with 27% adultery with 15% (haines, 2018).

To wrap up the majority of divorce cases in UK not related to money Nor work it has other reasons

U.S. DIVORCE RATE

Divorce has always been a part of the American society but now on decline and has been since 1980 in America (LUSCOMBE, 2018).All millanials are choosing to wait longer to get married so that they can feel financially secure (LUSCOMBE, 2018). However, money issues may not be the top cause of divorce but it is the fourth one and it is considered one of the 5 top causes (drjim, 2019).Money issues can make couples crack up because money is so important and touches many people’s heart. It can wreck a marriage in so many different ways. Different spending habits and different financial goals can put a strain on a marriage (drjim, 2019). Money can become a power struggle and any change in income can increase stress, sometimes lack of money is because the employments not both of them working and the bills are more than the salary, may be because the unemployment rate is high and there’s no enough employments with good salaries.

Why is the divorce rate in Spain so high?

Rates increased due to the empowerment of women and their independence. Most of the men can’t find work and starting to be the breadwinners and women started to have a more domestic position that’s why the marriage rate is lower than the divorce rate. The rate of marriages ending in divorce has ascended to 65 percent since divorce was legalized in 1981 and divorce system was eased in 2005 through a government bill (Kontrafouri, 2019).

Spain has the highest divorce rate following Luxemburg. Victor Martin Organista, a Madrid attorney, said that even after divorce became legal it is still a very problematic long-winded process but then it became faster (Kontrafouri, 2019).

Divorce rates, according to Spain’s National Statistics Institute, are steadily going up in the age group of 40-49, the group that accounts for close to half of all divorces in Spain (Kontrafouri, 2019). However, after age of 40 kids are grown up and more independent so the couples find themselves face to face again so they start arguing, some people start asking if this person is the right one to complete the second half of their life with or not.

Nowadays a lot of young people avoid thinking about marriage as they think it is an impossible deal because it is a great responsibility they prefer to be an un married partners until they have a baby after that they start thinking about taking this step but if you don’t have a job or a monthly income it will be very hard to create a family.

National perspective

Egypt’s social solidarity minister has said that the number of divorce cases in Egypt has increased over the past decade from around 100,000 to a record of 186,000 (El-Din, 2018). According to the president, research suggests that 40% of marriages end within the first 5 years (Reda, 2019) Wali accredits that the rise in divorce cases in Egypt is due to the tough economic conditions and low employment rates, she stated that “people who marry but their low incomes don’t help them live an honorable life mostly end up with divorce” (El-Din, 2018).

More than 4 million divorced women and 9 million children became victims of family separation (Dr, 2019). According to official statistics, Egypt ranks first among world countries in divorce, with more than 250 divorces per day (Dr, 2019). Another cause of this aspect is misuse of technology and social networking sites many couples became addicted to the internet. A study has confirmed that among serious effects of the internet is the breakdown of the marital relationships in addition to many other effects mental illnesses and others (Dr, 2019).

One of the positive impacts is that there is about 41% of 18-29 year olds in serious relationships that felt closer to their partner because of the online conversations (LENHART, 2014). However, there is a lot of negative impacts as an example 42% between the ages of 18 to 29 that olds in serious relationships say that their partner has been distracted by their mobile phone while they were together (LENHART, 2014). Another point is that 18% of the online couples have argued about the amount of time spent online (LENHART, 2014).

Jealousy plays a huge role Marlyn Wei a psychiatric agreed to studies related social media usage with marriage, one of them said that high usage of Facebook can trigger jealousy since that in Facebook you see the other’s friends and another one such as being jealous from another couples (Biarezky, 2019 ) To sum up young adults are more likely to report that the internet has had an impact on their relationship 45% of internet users ages between 18 to 29 in serious relationships say the internet has had an impact on their relationship, while just one in ten online adults 65 and older say the same (LENHART, 2014)

Contrasting perspectives

Divorce has always been a part of the society in the U.S, the reasons behind divorce gather around more than one reason but money issues is one of the top 5 reasons may be from the weak salaries or excessive spending. Moreover, the society in Spain also is having a very high divorce rate even when it is a problematic long-wined process. However, the Egyptian government believes that besides the money issues, there is another aspect which is the social media aspect. Moreover the United Kingdom says that the familiar reason is senseless behavior this was the main reason of divorce in the United Kingdom.

Local perspective part

An Interview was conducted with George Malak a lawyer and council in law. I asked him as I thought he will serve my paper because he studied law and he is aware of what’s going on, also because he is a lawyer that saw a lot of divorce cases and would help me. I asked him some simple questions; first question was how much divorce rates increased in Egypt has? The answer was from 1996 to 2017 it was about 1.2 per 1000 marriages but starting 2017 it increased to 2.2 per 1000 marriages. Second question was why in your opinion the divorce rate has increased in Egypt? He said there are many reasons but one of the most common reasons between different generations is that life expenses are very expensive and increasing day after day that’s why the young generation is avoiding getting married because more than 50% of this generation can’t find a good job. Another question was what is the government doing to help these generations? The government is trying to provide job opportunities to whoever can’t find a job and trying to provide cheap apartments to anyone who can’t afford to buy and expensive one.

He was so helpful he answered all my questions and they were very direct and to the point briefly he said that unemployment may be one of the main reasons behind divorce.

Personal perspective and evaluation

Before conducting the research I thought that the divorce is a family separation that no one can help in it. I thought that the main reason behind divorce is that they don’t love each other I never thought about the money issues or even that the money issues may be the reason behind separating a family.

Due to my religion I never saw a divorced family that’s why I didn’t know what they feel or the reasons behind their divorce. But after conducting this research I found out that divorce has many reasons and money is one of the main big issues of divorce and avoiding marriage between young people.

After referring el ahram online and a national journal that have served my paper a lot and I found out that the government is developing a comprehensive program to address the problem of high divorce rates in Egypt. I can see that Essam el Din has developed his point of view and he always write about everything happens in Egypt he has wrote about 52 nominees battling for a place.

Another reference that I was amazed about was couples, the internet and social media that was written by Amanda Lenhart is addressing teens in more than 118 articles she is very professional she has contributed a lot of articles for example teens and sexting and a lot more she was proofing how internet could have a good or bad effect in any relationship.

Problems and causes

I can see that the problem in all countries is that they are not trying to help they are accepting divorce in all cases that’s why young people are avoiding getting married. Marrying someone or having a relationship is a great responsibility that we should now a take care of it.

Governments need to do awareness campaigns to teenagers about how to save money and how to spend their money in an organized way, when it comes to work the companies should start providing more positions whether to a man or a woman and maybe to start giving internships to students under graduate to help them more , money issues banks can give a specific amount of money to newly graduates to help them start their own business and lives. Giving internships and providing more spots to teenagers and undergraduates will help a lot and will give them hope.

Introduction

Divorce is something that nobody ever imagines themselves having to go through, but unfortunately, nobody can control what happens throughout life. Couples grow apart for many different reasons such as emotional distress, cheating, and many other contributing factors. Marriage is a goal in life for most individuals, but life happens, and marriage does not always last. Analyzing and comparing the divorce rates between different countries can provide some insight as to some factors and influences on marriage in areas that may be more successful and others where it lacks to withstand all the things life can throw at our lives. There are many variables to consider such as religious views, the population per country the rate of divorce, and others.

Divorce in the United States

In the United States, the divorce rate has steadily reduced depending on the age range that is being considered. “Divorce rates are different for different social classes. People with more income and more education have lower divorce rates” (DePaulo, 2017). The top 6 reasons for divorce in the United States are infidelity, money problems, battles with addiction, along extraordinary situations such as the death of a child, incompatibility, and irreconcilable differences. Infidelity is the number one cause of divorces in the United States, whether physical or emotional because it destroys the initial foundation that was once built between spouses. Monetary issues can apply a great deal of pressure and stress to a relationship by building tension which then causes unnecessary fights. “Another money-related issue with the rise of successful women is that they are out-earning their spouses in increasing numbers. This ‘modernizing’ can be tough for even the most enlightened couples — and can cause a relationship to derail as well” (Ghandi, 2017). Most relationships start a mutual connection that later grows and ends as such once couples determine that their significant other is no longer the right match for them because their views no longer align or they simply grow apart. Americans have the freedom of choice when it comes to who they will spend the rest, or just a few years, of their life with which ultimately leaves a lot of room for error in relationships. More often than not, many marriages fail and the couple has tried every possibility that they had to make it work. Although the majority religious view mainly being Christian, divorce is still a very large aspect of American society. The divorce rate is currently at 49% in America with a total population of 325.7 million.

Divorce in Germany

As of 2017, the total population of Germany is 82.79 million and the divorce rate is at 41%, which is significantly lower than what it has been in the past. Marriage has become more of a lasting arrangement as couples are staying together and working through any trial and tribulation they are put up against. It has been noted that marriages in Germany are now extending more than 15 years on average. This change has occurred throughout the European Union as couples who get married are proving that no situation can be overcome within marriage as long as both sides are willing to work through it. With the main religion being Christianity, it is in correlation to why the divorce rate could be declining due to the country’s religious standings.

Divorce in Spain

Some would assume that Spain would have a lower divorce rate since its national religion is Catholic, but that would not be the case. “The divorce rate in Spain is the highest in Europe with three out of every four Spanish marriages now ending in divorce” (Seriously Spanish). New laws being introduced, and a failing economy has greatly impacted society and contributed to the incline of the divorce rate in Spain. Divorce used to be unobtainable in this country so many couples would just separate and continue living their lives with other people while still legally being bound to their spouse. This change permitted those who were “stuck” in their marriage to conclude that part of their life and begin another bringing the divorce rate in Spain to more than 60% while containing a total population of 46.57 million.

Conclusion

These three countries and their people have evolved and grown along with their rates of divorce over the years, but some are faster than others. Spain taking the top spot of the group with the highest divorce rate seems to be understandable simply because divorce is no longer restricted for the country. From a psychological standpoint, the best advice to give would be that just because something appears to be good doesn’t guarantee that it is a good thing. Couples who have experienced trials and tribulations with each other should reflect on why they decided to be together and commit to one another initially. Rediscovering the foundation of the relationship that brought the two of them together will allow the spouses to ignite the spark between them and restore their hope and determination to move forward as a unit rather than separate. After reflecting and attempting to restore the love and hope in the relationship, if the couple mutually agrees that it would be for the better to separate then that would be when divorce would need to be discussed. Personally, couples should never call it quits until it is decided that there is nothing left, and trying to make it work would only create more tension and distance between them. Regardless of whatever a couple could be facing, if the love between them is strong then there is nothing that cannot be conquered through unity once the bond and foundation are rediscovered and reconstructed. Engaging in outside therapy for couples or individuals can also aid the couple in discovering underlying issues and applying healthy techniques to address and overcome whatever issues may arise within the sessions over time.

References:

1. DePaulo, B. (2017, February 2). What Is the Divorce Rate? Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-single/201702/what-is-the-divorce-rate-really
2. Ghandi, B. (2017, October 25). 6 major reasons why people divorce. Retrieved November 19, 2019, from https://www.today.com/health/why-couples-get-divorced-t117476
3. What is the Divorce Rate in Spain? (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://seriouslyspain.com/what-is-the-divorce-rate-in-spain
4. Marriages prove enduring in Germany as the divorce rate falls. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2019, from http://www.dpa-international.com/topic/marriages-prove-enduring-germany-divorce-rate-falls-170711-99-199835
5. Worldwide Divorce Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2019, from http://divorce.com/worldwide-divorce-statistics/
6. Population United States Spain Germany 325.7 46.57 82.79
7. Divorce Rate United States Spain Germany 0.49 0.62 0.41

In the United States, there is one divorce approximately every 36 seconds. That is nearly 2,400 divorces per day, 16,800 divorces per week and 876,000 divorces a year (Irvin, 2012). Divorce is experienced much more than is realized. It is experienced, seen, and studied; however, the thought of who it affects is never automatically thought about. In all likelihood, scholars will continue to debate whether divorce has a casual effect on children, partly because of the impossibility of doing experimental research on this topic. Nevertheless, it is self-evident that divorce changes children’s lives in major ways” (Amato, 2010, p. 657). There are many precursors that predict divorce, however they are not the guaranteed reasons for it. The specific predictors change the lives of many.

The changes affect the lives of the divorcees, the families of the divorcees, the children in that household, and the social groups that the family is involved in. Amato (2010) explained how most individuals think of divorce as a single transition, and fail to realize the series of transitions. The number of familial structure transitions during childhood directly associates with the behavior problems of children. He also explained how spouses that initiate divorce finds immediate satisfaction and relief, whereas the partner does not find happiness until they remarry. In conclusion, marrying as a teenager, unemployment, low level of education, living with a spouse before marriage, premarital birth, and marrying a different race are all predictions of cause for divorce; however, they do not directly cause it. Bronfenbrenner (1986) explained how environmental aspects affect intrafamilial processes over the period of a lifespan. He answered the main question of how intrafamilial processes are affected by environmental conditions versus relying directly on parent-child interaction. He studied environments, genetic information, and links between family and settings/environments. Settings include but are not limited to hospitals, daycare/school, peer groups, social networks for both parents and children, work for both parents and children, neighbors, and public policies. He explains how the external influences either affect the development of children in a negative or positive way. There is a degree of differentiation that results from the impact of those influences.

Marrying young is a major reason that leads to divorce. It is not ensuring everyone who marries young will end up getting divorced; however, it is a pretty reasonable conclusion. Young couples often have not learned or explored enough to find who they really are outside of a relationship. “Data on the year of final separation were obtained through court records or personal testimony from all 56 couples who were known to be divorced. Ten couples were classified as quickly divorced because they divorced before the third wave of data collection, which took place shortly after what would have been their second wedding anniversary. This group terminated their marriage before all the early marital data had been collected and, thus, were included only in the analyses of newlywed data. The divorced–early group consisted of 21 couples who divorced between 2 and 7 years after they were married, whereas the divorced–later group consisted of 25 couples whose marriages lasted at least 7 years” (Huston). Unemployment can often lead to divorce, because it can cause disagreements in regards to income and the amount of weight each person pulls. In college, we learn how to think critically. Our levels of education increase as we gain knowledge and ability. We use these skills to solve problems and assist in the tasks of everyday life. If an individual goes to college and learns these skills, and the other partner does not, it is hard to reach conclusions. It is difficult for the two individuals to see evenly, communicate effectively using critical thinking, and reach decisions that are reasonable. Premarital birth is another predictor of divorce. If an individual may not be ready for that commitment, then they get pregnant.

They enter into marriage with their primary focus on the child, even though the two people are not necessarily compatible. When the child needs them, it works, but as the child grows and becomes less dependent on the parents. As a result, the focus of the parents shifts and end up realizing that they do not live together very well.

I completely agree that there are factors that cannot guarantee divorce, but there are some factors that can predict divorce. Everyone is different so certain factors cannot be concrete, but the probabilities of some factors are higher than others. When divorce happens, it changes the lives of the people getting divorced, along with the children of the divorcees, the friend groups, parents and families of the divorcees, and workplace. The people getting divorced rarely agree on the event being mutually beneficial. Most of the time one of the individuals has hurt or anger towards the other individual.

When this happens, one individual is relieved to be out of the relationship, and the other individual will not reach satisfaction or peace until they remarry/recommit. Their lives change because they go from living together and having to work together, to being independent again. The children go from having both parents within reach to having to go back and forth and be shared between the two. Life becomes a lot more difficult and the child(ren) go through emotional trouble as well. They sometimes feel as if they need to pick sides. The relatives of the divorcees go through this pattern of welcoming someone into the family just to have them not a part of it anymore. They get used to the individual coming over for holidays and to hang out, and then they just stop coming over. Friend groups are affected because the two divorcees usually go out together, and then they may feel as if they lost a friend, or they have to choose. The social groups are affected by the decision of the couple. The work place is affected because when going through difficult situations, their work ethics are altered.

Many aspects of life are altered; however, if the divorcees actually communicate, then it could be worked out. If the people getting divorced cannot communicate, argue, are petty, expect family and friends to pick sides, then there are going to be even bigger conflicts. “The results suggest that if parents perceive that friends, family members, and important others are blaming the ex-partner for transgressions and are speaking negatively about the ex-partner, it is harder for parents to forgive the other parent, which seems to be one important relational mechanism in the explanation of the maintenance and escalation of conflicts between divorced parents. While our studies shed light on one potential mechanism underlying the link between perceived social network disapproval and co- parenting conflicts, other mechanisms seem possible” (Margreet, et al., 3063).

Introduction:

An anonymous quote states: ‘F.A.M.I.L.Y is one of the strongest words anyone can say because it’s said that it stands for: ‘Father and Mother I Love You!!”. Whether residing together or separated, the family constitutes an essential social unit, consisting of the parent(s) and their offspring. Parents play a vital role in the emotional growth of children. They help them define who they are as human beings and influence how each adapts to societal norms. From birth, infants rely on parents for protection, emotionally and physically and the parent’s primary role has always been to guide their kids and to ensure that their needs are satisfied.

In the past, divorce was viewed as an immoral event; it was considered a social disgrace, especially if children were involved. Today, many people divorce for multiple reasons. Marriage is perceived by many as a contract rather than a commitment made before God. But how much does divorce impact the lives of children involved? In what ways are children affected and how will the effects show outwardly? Children, regardless of age, require some level of loyalty, trust, security, safety, and a sense of belonging. They experience different levels of psychological trauma during and after the divorce process. Studies have shown that children who experience divorce often have an increase in antisocial behavior, anxiety, and depression, along with increased offending and aggressive behavior. Self-blame and abandonment fears are also known as contributing factors. Depending on how parents handle the divorce process these feelings can easily diminish within a child.

5 years old Adam was uncontrollable even impulsive as one of his teachers described him. He was hurting everyone around him and when asked for the reason behind this behavior, he had no answer. Adam was also having difficulty keeping friends. Until his father, when picking him up from school, stated that he and his wife were getting a divorce and that Adam was spending the weekends with his mom whom he depends a lot on. His father mentioned as well that Adam was crying every evening and couldn’t sleep for fear that his father would go away too. The following case study seeks to examine if Adam is growing mentally and emotionally as a child his age, five years old, should be maturing according to many theorists and people who have studied child development for many years. It seeks to examine as well the effects of divorce on children’s well-being and will assess the extent to which divorce contributes to children’s behavior problems.

Emotional Development:

Blom (2004) explains that divorce causes grieving reactions in children that can manifest in different kinds of behavior, for example, temper tantrums, depression, poor school performance, psychosomatic complaints, and interpersonal conflict. Grieving children often fear rejection, abandonment, loss, isolation or not having their basic needs met. Their understanding of what this means will be shaped by their age and stage of development, but what is known is that children of all ages will show several commonly experienced signs of grief.

Of all the effects of divorce on children, school performance has been the most reported and emphasized. Studies report a noticeable decline in school performance as well as social adjustment. These studies were marked by decreased concentration in class and increased aggression on the playground which we can both notice in Adam’s case where he was having problems at school and was losing complete control of his temper and lashing out violently at those around him. Additionally, keeping friends was something hard for Adam to do which is reflected in two key examples of the emotional and psychological trauma that Adam was facing: “anger and frustration”. These feelings are often connected to insecurities and fears. The fact that a child who has to witness their home fall apart can create levels of uncertainty and fear about the future. Children often experience stress when their parents divorce because the biggest fear for children is change. And with divorce, changes will occur in many household responsibilities. So, Adam noticed that the family he had always known would be different. Usually, children become attached to parents, brothers, sisters, and pets. Change in contact with any of these people can cause some distress so they will experience the loss of attachment. As proof, Adam was a dependent child on his mother, he needed and wanted to be with her. That’s why Adam would cry as soon as he left her home on the weekends. Another noticeable emotional development for Adam was the fear of abandonment where the child fears that if he has lost one parent, he may lose the other. Consequently, he will start blaming himself, feeling unlovable, or not feeling safe. All these feelings were translated into Adam’s sad nights which he spent crying without getting enough sleep.

In conclusion, parental ability to recover from the distress of separation affects the children’s ability to adjust. Quality contact with the non-residential parent can improve the children’s emotional well-being (Hooper, 2005). Therefore; if Adam’s parents deal with their divorce wisely, Adam will improve and grow socially and emotionally developmental wise.

Family structure:

Over the past two decades or so, many pieces of research have been done on the impact of family structure and family change on child wellbeing. The results show that children raised in different family contexts display differential patterns of outcomes across a wide range of developmental domains. In particular, children raised in single-parent families have been found, on average, to do less well across a range of measures of well-being than their peers in two-parent families, while parental separation is associated with an array of unfavorable outcomes for children.

Many of the reported effects of parental separation on child well-being are based on observations that are taken in the short term. However, other studies have inspected effects over longer-term durations, some into adulthood. While there is evidence that time heals many of the difficulties that children encounter as a result of parental separation, there is also evidence that some effects are persistent and enduring.

Chase-Lansdale and Hetherington (1990) found that during the first two years after a divorce both children and adults experienced pragmatic, physical, and emotional problems as well as declines in family functioning. By two years after the divorce, most of the families had made significant adjustments, although among children there were variations by age and gender. However, Chase-Lansdale et al. (1995) found that parental divorce had negative consequences for the mental health of some offspring that persisted into adulthood. But, even if many children do not experience mental health disorders according to a clinical diagnosis, there is no doubt that for most it causes pain and sadness in their lives. Amato and DeBoer (2001) found that parental divorce approximately doubled the odds that children’s marriages would end in divorce. These increased odds appear to be the result of a long chain of effects. Children of separated parents are more likely to engage in early-onset sexual activity, leave home at an early age, enter into an intimate partnership at an earlier age as well as become young parents.

It is not a surprise that family structure is so controversial. The family is the institution children draw the most meaning from. From the day they are born, it gives them their identity, their language, and their expectations about how the world should work. Before children become individuals or citizens, they are the first and foremost part of a family.

Cognitive Development:

According to Mooney (2013), Piaget developed the Preoperational Stage of cognitive development which applies to children between the ages of two and seven years old. Using Piaget’s research and theory, this stage begins when the child starts to use symbols and language. It is a period of developing language and concepts where speech becomes more social and less egocentric. Piaget believed that children take an active role in the learning process, acting much like title scientists as they perform experiments, make observations, and learn about the world. As kids interact with the world around them, they continually add new knowledge, build upon existing knowledge, and adapt previously held ideas to accommodate new information. Here, the children base their knowledge on what they feel or sense to be true, yet they cannot explain the underlying principles behind what they feel or sense.

While analyzing Adam’s case, I have seen each of these characteristics was affected in one way or another. Because of his parents’ divorce, Adam wasn’t feeling comfortable expressing his natural emotions through productive and uninterrupted free-thinking time. At age 5, a child’s language skills will be growing each day and he will be learning to try new things on his own with the idea that he can always ask for help. In Adam’s case and because of the absence of maternal guidance most of the time, he was developing cognitively less than his peers who were living with their parents. The fact that Adam was losing his temper and acting violently is another effect of his parent’s divorce. However, it is likely that he will continue to improve upon this skill as he ages and adds more words to his vocabulary so he can better explain what is bothering him before it causes massive problems for him in school.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, researchers have found that a child’s adjustment is based upon the psychological health of their parents, the relationship they have with their parents, and their environment. In summation, it may not be the act of divorce that creates the psychological and emotional stress within the family, but rather, how divorce is handled both before the separation and after the divorce is enacted. In the book, The Rights of a Child in Separation and Divorce (Prall, 2000), professionals state that parents can provide their children with a basis for their hopes and expectations if children are told that their mother and father still love them and will never divorce them. They must know that the divorce is not their fault and not to be told about the adult problems that caused it. Moreover; children should be treated as human beings – not as another piece of property to be quarreled over, bargained over, or threatened. Additionally, children must make decisions about them based on their best interests. They should have the right to love both parents without being forced to choose or feel guilty and they shouldn’t be hearing bad, hurtful comments about either of the parents, which have no useful purpose. In conclusion, parents can follow some guidelines to minimize the impact of their divorce on their children and set their attitude from the start in their best interest them.

Reflection:

This case study has taught me a lot about how children of divorce act and why they do the things they do. By Analyzing Adam’s case for specific characteristics in the areas of cognitive and emotional growth, I was able to bring the lectures and information from class to life and am thrilled to be able to say I am leaving this class with the understanding of how a preschool-aged child is affected by the divorce of his parents.

By completing this case study, I was able to accomplish a lot. I now have a much better idea of how a 5 years old child whose parents are separated is cognitively and emotionally developed. And if I have a similar case at school, I will be able to deal with it easily. But if I teach a different grade, I have a very good idea of where the child has been and what he/she already went through.