Effects of Divorce on children

Abstract

South African society may have erased the stigma that once accompanied divorce, but its massive effects cannot be ignored. Hence. the purpose of this research was to determine the causes, nature and impact of divorce on children. From the literature, it became evident that social scientists tracked successive generations of South African children whose parents have ended their marriages. Literature further indicates that divorce is a traumatic experience, characterized by emotions, relief and excitement, shame that you had failed in your marriage, guilt that your children would not have the ideal childhood you had envisaged and fury at your spouse. Its effects are obvious in family life, educational attainment, job stability, income potential, physical and emotional health, drug use, and crime (Search 1983: 11 ). Literature further revealed that each year, over one million South African children suffer as their parents divorce. Moreover, half of all children born in wedlock see their parents divorce before reaching their nineteenth birthday (Search, 1983: 11 ). This fact alone should give policymakers and those whose careers focus on children reason to develop policies that will protect children from the devastating effects of divorce. Divorce has pervasive ill effects on children and the five major institutions of society: the family, church, school, marketplace, and government itself. If the family is the building block of society, then marriage is the foundation. This foundation however, is growing weaker with fewer adults entering into marriage, more adults leaving it in divorce, and more and more adults avoiding it altogether for single parenthood or cohabitation (Mitchell 1979:21 ). Divorce occurs in a context that is usually characterized by chronic parental conflict, pre-occupied parents who may be less sensitive to their child's needs, a reduced standard of living, post separation. chronic stress for the child and parents (Hodges, 1991 :8 ). The following are some major findings revealed in this study: absent parents or non-custodial parents are never in contact with their children and hence continuously fail to maintain their children. Extra marital relations, alcohol abuse, and physical abuse are main causes of divorce. Divorce has long term effects on children. These sometimes they carry along to adulthood. Not all marriages fail for the same reason, nor is there usually one reason for the breakdown of a particular marriage. Nevertheless, some reasons are more heard than others, such as, poor communication, financial problems, a lack of commitment to the marriage, a dramatic change in priorities and infidelity. All in all, children are at the receiving end. They are the victims of divorce.