Social and Academic Implications for Children of Divorce

A child today has a 50 percent chance of seeing his or her parents’ divorce, and just as likely a chance to see any second marriages end in divorce as well, with 43 percent being raised without the involvement of the male parent - essentially, growing up fatherless (Irvin 2012). Such statistics point to alarming possibilities for the social fabric of the country, creating a generation of adults who have not learned how to be partners with one another or effective collaborative parents. As a community, we need to work together to support these children of divorce so that they can be productive members of society.

In order for children to become functional, healthy members of society, they must get a quality education and learn the social skills necessary to get along with others. Yet children of divorce are far more likely to have poorer academic performance and trouble socializing (Live Science 2011). This means they will be handicapped at an early age from having the skills and abilities to be competitive in a difficult economy.

In addition to not being socially or academically prepared, children from divorce deny themselves opportunities for personal growth. They are less likely to engage in extracurricular activities, denying themselves the opportunity to develop interest, hobbies, and well-rounded experiences (Guthman and Robles-Pina). This means that children of divorce allow themselves fewer opportunities to develop social bonds and avenues of personal discovery.

The community has an obligation to engage these children to help them overcome some of these deficits, especially as they relate to the civic good. Doing so will help give these children of divorce increased opportunities to develop social skills and will integrate them into the communities more, expanding their experiences outside of broken homes.

References

Guthman, L., and Robles-Pina, R. (n.d.). Demographic and educational influences on the self-esteem of adolescents from divorced and intact families in rural areas. Retrieved from http://www.shsu.edu/piic/summer2002/Guthman.htm

Irvin, M. (30 October 2012). 32 shocking divorce statistics. Retrieved from http://www.mckinleyirvin.com/blog/divorce/32-shocking-divorce-statistics/

Live Science. (02 June 2011). Divorce plagues kids’ social, academic lives for years. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/06/02/divorce-plagues-kids-social-academic-lives-for-years/