The Impact of Divorce

  Having witnessed multiple divorces in my family, this story caught my eye and compelled me to pass the information on to you.  New research is providing more information about the toll of divorce on children.        
A study published in the June issue of the American Sociological Review indicates that young children who experience divorce are more likely to suffer from long-term setbacks in interpersonal skills and math test scores.
  The study of 3,600 children who were tracked from kindergarten through fifth grade finds while a divorce is underway, first, second and third grade children often experience a drop in math scores.  That dip tends to hold steady even after the divorce is finalized.     Additionally, the study shows during divorce children experience a decline in interpersonal skills which can interfere with the ability to make and keep friends.  They also appear to have more difficulty positively expressing feelings and opinions.  "Children of divorce show an enhanced risk of internalizing problem behaviors characterized by anxiety, loneliness, low self-esteem and sadness," says the author of the research Hyun Sik Kim of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  The thought is that kids who are experiencing a divorce could be stressed by ongoing parental blame, child custody disagreements or the loss of income that occurs when parents split up.  That stress can be worsened by the loss of stability when children move between two households or have to relocate to another part of the country losing contact with family and friends.