Running head: IMPACT OF DIVORCE 1

Impact of Divorce

Allison Bornstein

Drexel University
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Children who grow up in two parent homes typically have better outcomes than children

growing up in one parent homes. Research has shown that parental divorce leads to an increase

in delinquent behavior and criminal convictions among adolescents. The association between

parental divorce and delinquency is of particular interest due to patterns of changes in family

structure and increases in rates of divorce over the last century. A meta-analysis by Boccio and

Beaver (2019) that examined 50 studies found that parental divorce was associated with a 10–

15% increase in the likelihood of delinquent behavior. Taken together, the existing literature

seems to indicate that parental divorce is associated with negative outcomes including

delinquency. Along with delinquent behavior parental divorce is associated with increased

mental health problems.

Adolescents whose parents’ divorce exhibit higher levels of anxiety/depression and

antisocial behavior than children whose parents remain married. One factor associated with

mental health problems is the loss of resources teens face in single-parent households. The

association between socioeconomic status and mental health is well documented with fewer

emotional and behavioral problems among children with correspondingly higher levels of health

hold income and parental education (Bohman et al., 2017). Together, delinquency and mental

health problems as a result of loss of resources are reported to be higher in one parent homes.

The first student I interviewed was friend David. David’s parents divorced when he was 8

years old. His parents were getting a divorce because they made the mistake of getting married at

a very young age and as they got older realized that they were no longer compatible and wanted

change. Upon hearing the news, he remembers feeling sad, and confused. At the age of 8 he

understood partially what a divorce was and knew that his parents would be living in separate

homes. David was upset about this because he is very close to his father and wanted to be with
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his father all of the time. Unfortunately, the divorce agreement was for David to stay with his

mother on the weekdays and his father on the weekends. As time went on, he felt a lack of

connectedness from spending much of his time with his mother. By the time David reached high

school he began to hang out with the wrong crowd and started smoking marijuana. David was

caught by the school resource officer smoking on school grounds and was suspended. He feels

like marijuana replaces a piece of him and continues to smoke. David is an example of how

delinquent behaviors are more prevalent among adolescents of parental divorce. In contrast,

David did not experience economic hardship or mental health problems.

The second student I interviewed was my friend Sophia. In Sophia’s case her parents

were divorced before she was born. The divorce agreement was for her to spend the weekdays

with her mother and weekends with her father. Sophia’s mother and father were very different,

but she enjoyed spending time with both. Sophia’s mother acted as a parental figure whereas her

father was very laid back and did not discipline. Sophia did not experience behavioral problems

as a result of parental divorce however she experienced anxiety later due to the lack of financial

recourses. Her father failed to pay his child support therefore her mother had very little extra

spending money.

The third student I interviewed was my friend Juliet. Juliet’s parents got a divorce when

she was a teenager at the age of 14. She has a close relationship with her mother and father.

Since Juliet was older when her parents divorced her parents let her have the flexibility of

spending time with either parent when she wanted too. Juliet did not experience any of the issues

related to divorce. In fact, she enjoyed being able to switch homes and loved the one-to-one

attention she received from each parent.

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References

Boccio, C. M., & Beaver, K. M. (2017). The Influence of Family Structure on Delinquent

Behavior. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice,17(1), 88-106.

Bohman, H., Låftman, S. B., Päären, A., & Jonsson, U. (2017). Parental separation in childhood

as a risk factor for depression in adulthood: a community-based study of adolescents

screened for depression and followed up after 15 years. BMC psychiatry, 17(1), 117.