Divorce: Impact on Children Under the Age of 18

The institution of marriage is supposed to be a key institution that provides economic, social and emotional stability to those involved. Traditionally, marriage has an overall influence on the socio-economic ties in the society. This implies that any changes, which occur in the marriage, life have an overall impact on the parties involved. Previous studies indicate that divorce cases are on a steady incline across the globe. There is a general misconception that the parties involved in an event of a divorce are the most affected during separation. However, subsequent studies indicate that the consequences of divorce have the greatest impact on young children particularly under the age of eighteen. In an event of a divorce, children undergo; psychological, behavioral, confidence and social ability adjustments that subsequently affects their general well-being.

Divorce often leads to children becoming victims of abuse. This situation is predominant in families where one parent is living with the children. In addition, the vulnerability of such children to abuse is due to emotional problems that hinder their judgment in cases of abuse. Children in abuse cases may not know who to report, to and thus the vice may continue for some time before it is discovered. Another impact of divorce on children is poor performance in learning. This problem is attributed to the fact that children whose parent have divorced concentrate less in class and somehow think they are the reason their parents divorced.

Moon is of the view that distractions and poor concentration often leads to poor performance in school. Divorce has the greatest impact on family finances. In instances where one of the parents was the bread-winner, the financial situation drastically changes after divorce. Children may find it a challenge accessing necessities and may result in drug abuse in an attempt to distract themselves from the financial woes facing them.

Divorce is a major problem in modern society. Current statistics show that not only have divorce cases been on a steady incline, but the vice has reached unprecedented levels. It is evident that divorce practices tear up the fundamental unit that is the family. It is further unfortunate that the people worst affected by divorce do not even participate in the practice. There should be concrete solutions that safeguard the wellbeing of children in the event of a divorce. every member of the society has the responsibility to preserve the marriage institution and prevent further disintegration of the society coupled by myriad of challenges that occur due to divorce practices.