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Divorce happens, and it can have adverse effects on children.
A recent study found ten issues. Parents stay together for the sake of their children very often. In many ways, it’s honorable. Nobody wants to put their children through the turmoil of divorce. They want their kids’ childhood years to be stable and have some predictable routine. A divorce would mean splitting time between two homes, possibly welcoming new romantic partners of either parent and a total upheaval of “normal life.” It’s very hard on children who are still developing. But, sadly, additional research has found that staying together for the kids probably isn’t good for them either, as couples who try to separate discreetly can also cause long-term damage to their children’s emotional well-being. It seems like once a couple with children is unhappy, impacting their kids’ psyches is almost inevitable.
Research has quantified the particular ways being a child of divorce changes a person’s life. Children of divorce are at a higher risk for many issues, both in childhood and later in life. As a parent, you do the best you can, and getting a divorce could be much better for the children than having kids grow up in a home with parents who don’t love each other. If divorce occurs, it’s essential to be aware of these issues that can arise in children of divorce.
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Unsafe sex
The research showed that girls from divorced families are at a higher risk for adolescent pregnancy. Girls whose fathers left home before they were five years old are eight times more likely to become pregnant as adolescents than girls whose parents are still together. As for boys, those from divorced families tend to engage in sexual activities younger than those from intact families and are at a heightened risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Speaking to teens about safe sex and abstinence is always essential, but it may need to be addressed earlier and with more intensity with children coming from divorced families.