Saving Children of Divorced Marriages - Research Paper Example

A Research Proposal on SAVING CHILDREN OF DIVORCED MARRIAGES: HOW MARITAL DISRUPTIONS AFFECT YOUR KIDS and WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT Submitted By Author Submitted To Professor Date TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION________________________________________________3 Problem Statement _____________________________________________5 Specific Research Questions __________________________________5 Objectives_____________________________________________________6 II. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY__________________________________7 III. LIMITATIONS AND DEFINITIONS________________________________9 IV. METHODOLOGY_______________________________________________10 V. REFERENCES__________________________________________________11 INTRODUCTION Several studies on the effects of divorce on children have been conducted over the past decades to try to assimilate how children take their parents' divorce and how it affects their general well-being as well as the different aspects of their lives including their academic, social and even professional standing when they grow up. The effects of divorce in children is so extensive that it does not only relate to their adjustment in family environment particularly their schedule and interaction with one or both parents, to their social interaction with other kids whose parents are still together and to their self-esteem but last into adulthood in terms of their drive excel academically and professionally, their perspective on relationships, marital outlook and tendency to also go through several marriages and divorce. Although divorce of parents may have both positive and negative effects on a child, depending on a lot of factors including but not limited to the family's situation prior to divorce, parenting skills of one or both parents, attachment of the child to one or both parents and hostilities at home when both parents are together, it is more often than not that detrimental effects become more dominant. It needs taking note that the different effects of divorce on children has a lot to do with their age during which they had to experience their parents get divorce. Nevertheless, the degree or seriousness of these detrimental effects to a child varies depending on the same factors earlier-mentioned. Parents should take on the responsibility of lessening the adverse effects of divorce on their children considering that it is their failure that caused their children to go through hard times at an early stage in life. PROBLEM STATEMENT What is the worst age for children during which their parents could get divorced Specific Research Questions: 1. Into what age groups can children be classified in studying the effects of divorce on their general well-being and career achievement 2. What are the general effects of divorce on children belonging to different age groups 3. What age group in children suffer the most psychological stress or trauma when their parents get divorced 4. What age group in children is most adversely affected when their parents get divorced in relation to academic achievement 5. What age group in children is most adversely affected when their parents get divorced in relation to professional achievement 6. What measures can we do to lessen the adverse affect of divorce on children belonging to the age group most affected OBJECTIVES 1. To classify children into age groups whereby each age group would best reflect commonalities of those belonging to the same category in relation to how social and family situations affect their well-being and career achievement. 2. To find out the general effects of divorce on children particularly on each age group. 3. To find out which age group in children suffers the most psychological stress or trauma when parents get divorced. 4. To find out which age group in children suffers the worst academic set back as an effect of the parents getting divorced. 5. To find out which age group in children is most adversely affected by their parents getting divorced in relation to their career achievement. 6. To propose measures, which can help the age group in children most adversely affected by parents who get divorced, to cope with the adverse effects of their parents' divorce and minimize the impact of their parents' divorce on their well-being and success in life. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY According to Jennifer Baker of the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri, America has the following divorce rate: 1) fifty percent (50%) of first marriages, 2) sixty seven percent (67%) of the second marriages, and 3) seventy four (74%) of third marriages (www.divorcerate.org). Hence, children may experience undergoing the stress of parental divorce more than once, the first time on the divorce of their biological parents and the following times, for the subsequent marriages of the parent having custody over the child with the child's second, third or fourth stepparent. The primary causes of stress or psychological trauma in children of divorced parents basically consist of fears which may include one or more of the following: change in the family that they have always known, loss of attachment to the parent losing the custody over the child concerned, abandonment by one parent and the hostilities that may exist prior, during or even after the divorce (Clark, 1999). Initial and long-term detrimental effects of family disruption, particularly that of divorce, on children include decline in school performance (Kinard, 1986), more sensitivity to family conflict, difficulty in coping with anger, outrage, shame or sadness, feel more peer pressure and relationship issues (www.psychpage.com). It makes it significant to understand the causes as well as the effects to be able to formulate measures to minimize disruptions and the negative effects of divorce on children especially on the age group that may be found to be most adversely affected. In finding out which age group is most adversely affected by parental divorce and to what extent it affects the child will aid concerned sectors organize as well as establish policies or measures that may address the problems that children of divorced marriages undergo. Moreover, the family, the community, the school and even the local or federal government can go a step forward to helping these children. The role of each sector may prove valuable in setting forth change for the well-being of the children affected. An example of a concrete step to addressing the negative effects of divorce on children may include putting up a guidance counselling program specifically for students of divorced marriages. The program may even include counselling to parents or guardians on how to deal with kids confronted with such disruptions in their family lives. Studies, such as the one at hand, can lead to positive developments on child care and social welfare. Each and every one of us, needless to say, and even those not experiencing divorce, has to take part in giving these children brighter future and better outlook in life. LIMITATIONS AND DEFINITIONS The research seeks to answer the specific questions delineated above in order to arrive at conclusions towards attaining the objectives thereto. As a limitation to the research proposal, the researcher intends to intelligently classify children according to their commonalities in taking the effects divorce. Initial classifications as provided by existing studies are as follows: pre-school children, school-aged children, pre-teens and adolescent. After identifying the age group most adversely affected by divorce, the research will focus on the effects of marital disruptions on said age group and to what extent these children get affected by divorce. This will limit the stress factors and the detrimental effects of divorce on children belonging to said specific age group. Having narrowed down the issues, these can now be addressed one by one and in details to create a more extensive discussion on each of said issues. The effects of divorce on the specific age group of children most adversely affected will be analyzed both in terms of immediate effects and the long-term effects. However, the researcher intends only to study the major aspects of a child's life such as academic, professional and romantic relationships when they become adults themselves. METHODOLOGY Design of the research proposal focuses on the gathering and analyzing existing studies on similar or related topics. The broad research made on divorce and its effects on children provide for an extensive discussion on the detrimental effect of divorce on the different age groups of children and how to help each group cope with it. Since, the research is particularly of social science, the use of survey is very important in collecting data. Formulating questions that are directed to obtain conclusive information on the specific questions that need to be answered to complete the scope of the research is essential. The key to effective survey is the formulation of questions that will directly answer the specific inquiries needed for the research. Hence, the questions should be stated in a manner that would make the answers categorical on a specific issue or idea. Interviewing experts on the matter as well as psychological evaluation by them on the answers posed by the subjects and the data collected should form a valuable knowledge for the researcher aiding him in addressing the problem to attain the specific objectives delineated in the research proposal. REFERENCES 1. Beekman, Nancy, ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Personnel Services Ann Arbor MI, Helping Children Cope with Divorce: The School Counselor's Role, Highlights: An ERIC/CAPS Digest,1986. 2. Children of Divorce and Adjustment (www.psychpage.com), retrieved 2010. 3. DeBord, Karen, The Effects of Divorce on Children, MU Extension, University of Missouri-Columbia, (http://www.classbrain.com/cb_pta/missouri_pdfs/divorcekids), retrieved 2010. 4. Divorce Rate in America (www.divorcerate.org), retrieved 2010. 5. Kinard, E. Milling and Helen Reinherz, Journal on Marriage and Family, Effects of Marital Disruption on Children's School Aptitude and Achievement, (www.Jstor.org), 1986. Read More