When two people get divorced, many emotions are probably going through their heads. Divorce wreaks havoc on pretty much all parties. Many people forget who divorce can have the biggest impact on: the children, especially young ones. This negative effect can also be academic. Children of divorced parents are less likely to succeed in school and less likely to attend and graduate from college. While this statistic may be startling, all hope is not lost for children of divorced parents academically if parents pay attention to the signs.
A study was done and published in the American Sociology Review. 3,500 were followed from kindergarten until fifth grade. The results showed that children of divorce experienced setbacks in math and social skills. The study also showed that children of divorce were more prone to feeling anxious, lonely, sad, or have low self-esteem compared to children with parents who were married. Researchers believe that the economic impact of divorce has a direct correlation with academics. At Ohio University, researchers concluded that children may initially fall behind academically and not be able to catch up. These children may also lose their self-esteem and motivation.
Many children began to feel anger toward the parent after the divorce. Those who don’t become upset become more depressed during the divorce and feel unwanted. Students began to show a lack of production in school. A child who has gone through a divorce is twice as likely to repeat a grade and they are five times likelier to be expelled or suspended from school at some point during their education. These disruptions can cause the child not to be prepared to go to college and not have the knowledge and critical thinking of an adult. Leaning problems may also occur amongst children of divorced parents.
Teachers, counselors, or principles are usually the ones who can detect a problem early with the children. The younger the child is, the more of an impact the divorce has on the child. They should let the parent know so that the child does not fall behind in school.
Many times, custody battles occur and that can affect the child’s schooling because children may have to go back and forth between different houses and different schools. Parents should encourage their children to remain active in school throughout the divorce. They should take the time to talk to their child about the divorce. Therapy is also another option for children of divorced parents in order to help them stay on track, especially academically. Parents should also try to spend as much time as possible with their children so that their children can stay on track during the divorce.
Every parent wants their child to succeed academically. Most parents want their children to have more than they ever had. However divorce can negatively affect that. Statistics show that when parents don’t take the time to take care of their child’s emotional needs, their children can experience a decline in their academic success. However if parents do take the time to take care of their children’s needs, their child can still excel academically and all aspects of life.
For help during your divorce case, please contact a trusted network like Tough Divorce Lawyers or Cohen & Cohen, P.C. Capital Reporting Company can provide professional Washington, DC based court reporters for your case as well.