Whether you are going through a divorce in Orange County or Los Angeles County, divorce has a dramatic effect on children in many ways. Children of divorce often suffer from emotional stress, low self-esteem, sadness, loneliness and anxiety. A new study now shows that children going through a divorce also suffer from low math scores and lack of interpersonal skills.
In fact, the study reveals that "[c]hildren do not fall behind their peers in these areas during the potentially disruptive period before their parents divorce, the study revealed. Instead, it's after the split that kids seem to have the most trouble coping."
The study also states that from the divorce onward, children lag behind in math scores. Said children also "...show enhanced risk of internalizing problem behaviors characterized by anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem and sadness."
With respect to the math findings, in the research performed by Hyun Sik Kim, he analyzed data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study on 3,600 children who entered kindergarten in 2008. In said study, the children were tracked through fifth grade. Over that time, Kim compared children whose parents had gotten divorced while the child was in the first, second or third grade with the children of intact marriages.
Among the divorce group, Kim examined child development over three phases: the "pre-divorce" period from kindergarten to the 1st grade; the "divorce period" from 1st through 3rd grade; and the "post-divorce" period from 3rd through 5th grade.
Kim found that while a divorce is in progress, first, second and third-graders experience a dip in math test scores -- interestingly, a decline that holds steady once the divorce is final. Interpersonal skills also suffer during divorce, affecting a child's ability to make and keep friends, and the ability to express feelings and opinions in a positive way.
Additionally, what is interesting to note is that the article states that children of divorce "...may be stressed by an ongoing parental blame game or child custody conflicts. This stress could be compounded by the loss of stability when a child is shuttled between separate households or has to move to another region altogether, thus losing contact with his or her original network of friends." Indeed, from an Orange County divorce lawyer's perspective, this all correlates to what is in the best interest of the children. As an example, if the children have lived in the same residence since a very early age, they will obviously be accustomed to the area they live in and their network of friends and family. This provides the children with stability and security.
Of course, life changing events such as divorce can have a significant effect on one's well-being, whether it be the children of divorce or the parents themselves.
For more information on obtaining a Los Angeles County or Orange County divorce, contact an Orange County divorce lawyer for more information.
