Divorce

Protecting Children from the Negative Effects of Divorce

by Sanford M. Portnoy, Ph.D ., Director of The Center for the Study of Psychology and Divorce at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology

Decades of research on the effects of divorce on children has yielded mixed findings. There is some bad news and some good news. There are also some useful strategies for parenting one’s children through a divorce so as to encourage a positive adjustment.

The good news is that two years after the divorce 80% of children appear to have no major psychological problems, achieve well, and remain close to their families. In short, they resemble the children of never divorced families. The bad news is the other 20% who demonstrate serious and lasting negative consequences, including reduced school performance, poor peer relationships, lower self-esteem, and higher indices of depression, anxiety, and overall adjustment. And even the 80% who eventually come out of the situation more intact must endure the often intense emotional struggle to get to that better place.

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Resource Organizations » Divorce

8 listing(s), including 2 offering support groups

In Massachusetts

Berkshire County Kids' Place & Violence Prevention Center, Inc.

www.kidsplaceonline.org/
63 Wendell Avenue
Pittsfield, MA  01201
main: 413-499-2800
Fax: 413-496-9327
Berkshire County Kids' Place is a fully accredited Children's Advocacy Center CACs provide a safe homelike atmosphere where child abuse victims and their non- offending family members can receive the services necessary to heal from the trauma of abuse.
Kids' Place gives children who have experienced violence in their lives, either as victims of abuse or witnesses to domestic violence, a safe place to tell their stories and get help.

Divorce Center

www.divorcenter.org
Offers support group(s)
275 Grover St, Building Z, Suite 400
Auburndale, MA  02466
toll free: 888-434-8787
Since 1983, the non-profit Divorce Center has been easing the trauma of divorce. Comprised of volunteer attorneys, mediators, psychotherapists, career counselors, and financial experts, we believe that families experiencing divorce need to be well informed and supported throughout the process.

Needham Health Department

(Needham only )
needhamma.gov/health
1471 Highland Avenue
Needham, MA  02492
781-455-7500 x 511
The Needham Health Department offers a range of mental health services for citizens of the town. Public Health Nurses provide confidential counseling and referrals to all ages. Short-term home-based services for at-risk teenagers and their families are provided through Riverside Community Care's Alternative Youth Services program. The program includes family counseling, advocacy, information, and referral. Call the Health Department for more information on these free services. The town's Substance Abuse Prevention and Education program provides informational programs, educational resources, and confidential substance abuse support services for Needham youth, adults, and seniors. Contact Carol Read at the Health Department to find out more about inpatient and outpatient treatment, individual and group counseling, and peer support resources regarding substance abuse, addiction and chemical dependency.

Needham Youth Services

(Needham only )
needhamma.gov/youth
1471 Highland Avenue
Needham, MA  02492
781-455-7500
This is a town-funded department which provides professional and confidential mental health services to youth and their families in Needham. It offers support, information, and direction on issues such as peer relationships, stress, grief and loss, substance use, suicide, and other concerns. Most services are free of charge. The department collaborates regularly with civic and community organizations on a variety of projects.

Provider Parent Partnerships - National Network for Child Care

www.ces.purdue.edu/providerparent/Family-Child Relationships/EffectDivorce.htm
765-494-2959
Researchers do not believe that divorce always causes pain in children. Divorce can have both positive and negative results. For some children, the parents' divorce can be a disaster. It might be negative for the child both now and later. Other children may grow from the experience. They may become more mature, sensitive, and responsible.
Many factors affect how families adjust to divorce. Researchers say that most families take from one to three years to adjust to a divorce. Some families can take five years or longer, depending on the situation surrounding the divorce.
Children have different types of reactions. Some reactions will be negative and others will be positive. Their reactions depend on many different things. Some of those are listed here.

Outside Massachusetts

Divorce Step

www.divorcestep.com
Offers support group(s)
508 358 4455
508 358 7688

Kids' Turn

www.kidsturn.org
55 New Montgomery, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA  94105
415-777-9977
Every year over one million children suffer the breakdown of their families when their parents separate or divorce. Kids' Turn helps children understand and cope with the loss, anger and fear that often accompany separation or divorce. Kids' Turn awakens parents to the need to support their children during this crisis in their lives, so that at-risk behavior by children is averted. Kids' Turn is dedicated to enhancing the lives of these children through improved communication and the knowledge they are not alone. The Kids' Turn website has a page for kids only which includes activities, common questions and answers, and a list of children's books that deal with divorce.

Supervised Visitation Network

svnetwork.net/
3955 Riverside Avenue
Jacksonville, FL  32205
Phone: 904-419-7861
Fax: 904-239-5888
The Supervised Visitation Network (SVN) is a multi-national non-profit membership organization that is a network of agencies and individuals who are interested in assuring that children can have safe, conflict-free access to parents with whom they do not reside. Some of the children who need these services live in foster homes or with relatives. Some live with one parent who is estranged from the other. SVN helps families find services that are convenient to them and will meet their needs by maintaining a directory of services nationwide. SVN receives many calls from parents, attorneys, social workers, judges, and others looking for services in their area. The goal is to have a comprehensive directory so services can easily be found by the families that need them. SVN collects and disseminates research information relevant to safe child access and provides public education regarding the importance of children having access to their parents.

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Additional Sources of Information

Effective Parenting During and After Divorce (VIDEO)

How Can A Therapist Help When You Are Dealing with Divorce?

KidsHealth.org

Disclaimer: Material on the MSPP INTERFACE Referral Service website is intended as general information. It is not a recommendation for treatment, nor should it be considered medical or mental health advice. The MSPP INTERFACE Referral Service urges families to discuss all information and questions related to medical or mental health care with a health care professional.