Children and Divorce: What 25 We Know and What We Need 20 to Know - PDF document

Refined Divorce Rates for Five Countries Children and Divorce: What 25 We Know and What We Need 20 to Know 15 10 5 Paul R. Amato 0 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 4 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 0 0 Department of Sociology 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 Pennsylvania State University U.S. England New Zealand Australia Canada Is Divorce Linked with Negative Is Divorce Linked with Negative Outcomes among Children? Outcomes among Adult Offspring? Yes Yes - externalizing problems - less education - internalizing problems - lower income and job status - academic failure - increased risk of depression - problems with peer relations - increased risk of divorce - weaker bonds with parents (fathers) - weak long-term bonds with parents Distributions of Psychological Well-Being for Are All Children Affected Similarly? Offspring with Divorced and Married Parents No - Some children exhibit lifelong increases in serious problems - Some children show only minor, short- term distress - Some children are better off in the long-run following divorce, especially if their parents have overtly hostile relationships 1

Do Gender Differences Exist in the Links Does Divorce Cause These Between Divorce and Child Well-Being? Problems? • Perhaps, but the pattern is not clear Yes, but selection processes also • Among children, boys are at greater play a role risk of problems with conduct and social relationships - Marital conflict • Among young adults, women - Parent psychopathology experience greater educational - Genetic effects disadvantage than men Marital Conflict Model Divorce Marital conflict Child problems Parent psychological problems, Parent Personality Model divorce, and child problems ( NSFH I & II, Unstandardized coefficients ) Time 1 Time 2 Parent psycho- Divorce Parent pathology .06*** psychological Divorce problems .16** -.47*** .24** Inept Child parenting problems Child Parenting -.15*** Problems quality 2

Percentage of Children Exhibiting Behavior Passive Genetic Model Problems by Divorce and Adoption Status Parents' Parents' genes divorce Children's Child's behavior genes problems Do We Know How Divorce Lowers Economic Children’s Well-Being? hardship Yes Mother's parenting - Economic hardship Loss of Child Divorce - Mothers’ parenting quality father outcomes - Loss of relationship with father Caught in the middle - Feeling caught in the middle - Multiple transitions Multiple transitions Children Living with One Parent by Do We Know What Helps? Marital Status (US) Yes - Economic security - Competent (authoritative) parenting from both parents - Cooperative co-parenting - Stability 3

Questions More questions • Few studies have focused on minority - Do children with never married groups. In the U.S., are the estimated parents experience the same risks as effects of divorce comparable for do children with married parents who Whites, Blacks, Latinos, and Asians? divorce? • Are there differences between countries? And if yes, what accounts - Are the mediating processes the for these differences? Culture? same for these children? Social policies? Programs to Promote Healthy How Effective are Interventions? Marriage - How effective is marriage education - Court-based parenting education courses for divorcing parents are at improving marital quality and common in the U.S. Do they work? lowering divorce? - Would more joint physical custody - Is it useful to encourage unmarried benefit children? parents to marry? - What can we do about high-conflict - Are community education programs couples following divorce? useful? - Do these programs benefit children? 4