The Effects of Divorce on Children

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO THE LITERATURE REVIEW

Problem Statement

The problem of the present critical review focuses on the impact of divorce adjustment experience by boys 8-12 years-of-age, the influences on their developmental stage, and the mother-son relationship. What is needed is an understanding of the links between boys’ problem solving skills, coping mechanisms, behavioral and emotional outcomes, and divorce. Current studies of coping behaviors among boys have led to several research questions. How do boys’ between the ages of 8-12 in divorced families cope successfully? What are their coping behaviors? Is there a relationship between the effects of post- divorce adjustment on boys who are between 8 and 12 years of age and their developmental stages leading to increased behavioral and emotional problems? What are the effects of post- divorce adjustment on the mother-son relationship?

To answer these questions, investigative studies on the coping behaviors and developmental levels of boys between the ages of 8 and 12 years old in divorced families must be examined. A research problem can be found in the design of prior investigations in that this research leaves out consideration of gender as well as the development stage. There is a lack of differentiation between the coping behaviors of boys and girls and the link to the child’s developmental stage. Focus on a research design that incorporates a developmental theory is appropriate in the study of the coping behaviors among boys in families that have experienced divorce.

Purpose

The purposes of this critical review are two-fold. First, it is important to discover the patterns of coping behaviors in boys between the ages of 8 and 12 from families that have experienced divorce. Second, the literature will be reviewed to determine the impact of divorce and developmental stages of the boys in the age group of 8 to 12 years of age and the mother-son relationship. The developmental stages to be explore (but not limited to) will include trust versus mistrust, industry versus inferiority, and identity versus identity diffusion.

Rationale for the Study

Boys and girls between the ages of 8-12 need to be encouraged and guided to utilize effective coping skills. During this critical time period in their lives with confusion and self-exploration, boys are faced with all types of decisions and choices about themselves (Allen, 1995). Ineffective coping skills may lead to decisions that would negatively impact the remainder of their lives (Luther, Burack, Cincchetti, & Weisz, 1997). These negative external behaviors may lead to difficulties with peers, the la2w, school, drug/alcohol abuse, deviant sexual behaviors, delinquency, and relationship problems with t6he opposite sex. These problems when left unresolved may follow boys into manhood and plague them long after they become adults (Forman, 1993; Hetherington & Blechman, 1996). By identifying coping skills among boys between the ages of 8-12 whose families have experienced divorce- this study can add to the paucity of data about the coping skills of boys. Too much of the literature relates only to girls or does not differentiate coping skills by gender.

Children and adolescents from divorced families’ experience more adjustment problems than children growing up in nuclear families (Simons, Lin, Gordon, Conger, & Lorenz, 1999). The trend toward using developmentally appropriate practices have been linked to their ability to cope with anger, distress, how they understand their feelings, and their behavior (Denhan, 1998). According to Greene and Leslie (1989), boys from divorced families were found to experience difficulties in schoolwork. They also exhibited greater stress and higher levels of aggression than did boys from nuclear families. In an extensive literature review of the databases of THOR, ERIC, PSYCHLIT, SCIENCE ACCESS, EBSCO, and various other Walden databases, results have indicated boys from divorced families exhibit external aggressiveness, while girls tend to internalize their emotions.