Divorce has been considered particularly disruptive for children because it occurs during childhood. While adults may have faced several losses and disappointments, their parents' divorce is the first life crisis for many children. The distinctive feature of children of parental divorce is that they usually remain members of their parents' families, unlike their parents. This book considered children's perspectives regarding their parents' divorce, paying particular attention to honoring the child's voice in the divorce process. The adult perspective on divorce has dominated the discourse on divorce, and research has only recently started to consider the viewpoint of children.
Children are voiceless: they don't write books, don't vote, and don't usually get interviewed on television. We learn about their experiences by sensitively observing their lives. Later, when they are grown up, we ask them what it was like.
Research has revealed that the nature of the divorce process as experienced by the child is the most critical factor in post-divorce adjustment. It remains a relatively unexplored area, with limited research on how children experience divorce.
Parental divorce has been labeled as a substantial loss for all children affected. It is one of the most stressful events in the lives of the children involved, with repercussions ongoing throughout these children's lives. As parental divorce transitions occur, children often experience depression, anxiety, anger, behavior problems, and a drop in school performance. Most researchers agree that children from divorced families are poorly adjusted compared to children from intact families. About 10% of children from entire homes present with psychological problems, behavioral problems, and academic difficulties in the South African context. These same problems are experienced by about 25% of children from divorced homes. About 70% of children from divorced homes view divorce as an acceptable solution to an unhappy marri