4 Troubled Teens Blog

During Divorce, Make Sure Kids Know It's Not Their Fault

Divorce is hard on every family it touches. Sometimes an unintended consequence is that the kids feel responsible -- thinking they did something wrong, something that caused one of their parents to want to leave.
Attorney-at-law Marjorie Shaw-Currie has seen instances like these as marriages dissolve in the divorce court. In fact, she said these situations are not rare and, when they occur, she prescribes counseling ... Divorce brings many changes, and changes are hard for children ... They may wonder, 'If my parents stop loving each other, can they stop loving me?' -- Source: Cleaner News (Jamaica)
Psychologist Karen Richards says parents should reassure their children of their love and ensure them that they are not to blame for their parents' divorce. During and after a divorce, every family member will need time to process and to grieve. Make sure kids have an opportunity to do this, whether it's through talking to a parent, confiding in a teacher, or attending sessions with a trained pediatric counselor.

Regardless of parents' marital status, keeping the lines of communication open is an important part of promoting healthy childhood development, and has even been cited as a means of reducing adolescent and teen depression.

Labels: parental_involvement, depression, children, divorce

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How Divorce Affects Teens Varies by Their Ethnic Groups

Researchers at Ohio State University found that the impact of divorce on teenagers varies by their ethnic group.

Dr. Youngmin Sin studied 700 American high school students in grades 10 to 12 of Hispanic, European, Asian or African ethnicity. He and his colleagues found that European- and Asian-American teens experienced the most disruptive effects in terms of academic performance, behaviors, and psychological well-being. Hispanic- and African-American teenagers did not encounter as many problems because they are already facing so many disadvantages, Dr. Sin concluded.

This study appears in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

Labels: teens, divorce, ethnic_groups

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments