Impact of Divorce on the Holistic Development of a Child: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Throughout history, marriage has been revered as sacred and viewed as a lifelong commitment in all cultures. Yet, growing complexities in the current milieu saw a steep rise in divorce rates. The consequences of divorce are exacerbated when there are children involved. This research provides an overview on how this process of change affects children across critical developmental domains. Through the comprehensive study of 30 existing findings from different reputed databases, this paper seeks to understand various dimensions of children’s personal growth including academic achievement, emotional, socio-economic and psychological well-being within the context of parental separation. This paper explores the linkages between the contexts during the separation and the children affected by it. Children brought up in a context of divorced and/or separated parents are more likely to be emotionally dis-regulated and tend to display conduct problems. Additionally, children parented in such an environment tend to act out and experience adverse outcomes. Emotional divorce tends to negatively impact the attachment styles of children, resulting in the culmination of the anxious-avoidant attachment style. Such children don’t have a tendency to form close and trusting relationships with others. They face difficulties being emotionally intimate and maintaining distances with others. As a result, they don’t feel secure in their relationships and are highly neurotic. Furthermore, the paper talks about how some other meditating factors like parental conflicts, custody might mediate the effects on children. Findings highlighted the urgency to understand the sensitive nature of divorce and its long-term effects on the children in order to make informed decisions.