Examining Parental Divorce Child Development Consequences

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Examining Parental Divorce Child Development Consequences

Introduction

Divorce is an emotional and difficult process for children and parents. Parental divorce has been linked to negative effects both in the long term and the short term. In the United States, statistics show over one million divorces each year (U.S. Census Bureau). Out of these, nearly 50% of those divorced have at least one child under 18 (U.S. Census Bureau). The following literature review will explore whether or not parental divorce affects child development skills/relationships positively or negatively and what factors may contribute to these effects on children post-divorce in both long-term and short-term situations.