Long
Term Effects of Divorce
Abridged Story
From a news story by
CNN San Francisco Reporter Greg Lefevre
September 10, 2000
Sharon Keating was
worried about her kids when she got a divorce. Her daughter, says, "I
was feeling... like down and sad and even though I didn't really show
it.
Judith Wallerstein says problems from divorce can for many years. They
can show up when the kids are adults. As adults the kids have trouble.
Wallerstein studied 93 children over a generation. The results can only
be found in her book.
She says children of divorce are more likely to have problems with drugs.
They are far more likely to seek therapy. About 40-percent of them do
not marry. Their marriages fail at nearly twice the usual rate. It is
hard for them to trust. They are afraid of failing.
Critics say Wallerstein had too few children in her study. Other things
may be the cause of the kid’s problems. The study does not compare
kids from divorced families with kids from "healthy" families.
Wallerstein's families divorced a generation ago. Times have changed.
People feel different about divorce. Today programs like Kid's Turn
try to lessen some of the effects of divorce with family counseling.
Talking about their feelings helps the kids get through it.
Since they know more about the problems, maybe the kids will be able
to handle it.
Additional Notes:
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