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Of course, the amount of transitions (the amount of divorce in the family) greatly increases the risk for children to settle in satisfying marriages and divorce themselves when young adults.
Protective factors reducing impact of divorce on children
The research question here is whether there are any factors that may be considered that are empirically proved to be able to mitigate the effect of divorce in children.
Within the last decade, researchers have identified various such factors each having a range of associated variables themselves.
1. Competent custodial parents and parenting: One of the best protective factors is the quality of parenting following divorce and the psychological adjustment of the custodial parents. Effective parental behavior such as warmth, nurturing, emotional support, authoritative discipline, and age appropriate behavior demonstrate the best means for providing emotional support for children as compared to parents who are withdrawn, inattentive and provide coercive discipline (Sandler et al., 2008).
2. Nonresident parents: Frequent contact with parents -- depending on the nature of the relationship with that parents, on the level of inter-parental conflict, and on the personality of that parents- may also mitigate effects of divorce. This is particularly so if the parent continues nurturing activities with the children (such as homework), practices authoritative discipline, and has appropriate expectations from the children.
Joint custody, compared to sole custody, also seems to work better for some children with children being better adjusted on multiple psychological factors regardless of parental conflict (Bausermann, 2002).
3. Low parental conflict: The level and intensity of parental conflict following divorce has an enormous corresponding effect on the children's psychological ability of adjustment. Co-parental relationship with both parents planning together for the future of the children and engaging in corroboration of schedules and activities also has a positive effect on post-divorce adjustment, although studies have found that parallel parenting in which low communication, low...
The key here is the level of nurturing care and appropriate discipline in each particular household (Sandler et al., 2008).
Conclusion
The current consensus in the social science is that no significant differences are found between the majority of children who live in divorced families as compared to those who live in continually married families as long as several preventative steps are in place (Sandler et al., 2008). Both reliable and authoritative multimethod longitudinal studies and large-scale studies support this conclusion (Waite, Luo, Lewin, 2009). Approximately, 75-80% of children from divorced families do not suffer major psychological problems and, in many, other aspects achieve healthy adjustment on a par with their peers. This is, of course, is dependent on many circumstances, therefore the way the divorce is accomplished is important to achieving satisfactory results.
References
Amato, P. (2010). Research on divorce: Continuing trends and new developments Journal of Marriage and Family, 72, 650-666 .
Bausermann, R. (2002). Child adjustment in joint-custody vs. sole-custody arrangements: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Family Psychology, 16, 91 -- 102.
Kelly, J. (2007). Children's Living Arrangements Following Separation and Divorce: Insights From Empirical and Clinical Research. Fam Proc 46,35 -- 52.
Lansford, J.E. (2009). Parental divorce and children's adjustment Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4 140-152
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