The Effects of Divorce and Its Associated Stressors on Children and Adolescence

Location

CSU 204

Start Date

23-4-2007 10:00 AM

End Date

23-4-2007 12:00 PM

Student's Major

Psychology

Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mentor's Name

Sarah Sifers

Mentor's Department

Psychology

Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Description

This study investigates how divorce affects the children who undergo the experience. There were four factors looked at to determine whether children of divorce emerge unscathed by their parents' marital dissolution. Those protective factors were family environment, social support, appraisal of the divorce, and the number of the other events that have been shown to often co-occur with divorce. By utilizing the Family Environment Scale (FES), Life Events Checklist (LEG), Social Support Scale for Children (SSSC), and the Behavioral Assessment Scale for Children, second edition (BASC-2; parent and self-reports) we assed how family environment, social support, appraisal and co-occuiting divorce stressors played a role in protecting children. Our sample consisted of 91 children and their parents from the Mankato area public school. A linear regression analysis was used to determine which factors acted as significant protective factors. We determined there was a main effect for the appraisal of co-occurring stressors. This result suggested that the greater amount of stress experience by children and adolescence regarding parental divorce predicted a greater inability to function normally. This result suggests that a greater amount of familial stress experience by children and adolescence regardless of parental marital status predicted a greater inability to function normally. Results did not support the hypothesis that family environment, social support, and appraisal of stressors are protective factors or that divorce-related stressors are risk factors for children experiencing parental divorce since there was no indication that children who experienced divorce were any worse off then those who did not experience divorce. School Psychology

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Apr 23rd, 10:00 AM Apr 23rd, 12:00 PM

The Effects of Divorce and Its Associated Stressors on Children and Adolescence

CSU 204

This study investigates how divorce affects the children who undergo the experience. There were four factors looked at to determine whether children of divorce emerge unscathed by their parents' marital dissolution. Those protective factors were family environment, social support, appraisal of the divorce, and the number of the other events that have been shown to often co-occur with divorce. By utilizing the Family Environment Scale (FES), Life Events Checklist (LEG), Social Support Scale for Children (SSSC), and the Behavioral Assessment Scale for Children, second edition (BASC-2; parent and self-reports) we assed how family environment, social support, appraisal and co-occuiting divorce stressors played a role in protecting children. Our sample consisted of 91 children and their parents from the Mankato area public school. A linear regression analysis was used to determine which factors acted as significant protective factors. We determined there was a main effect for the appraisal of co-occurring stressors. This result suggested that the greater amount of stress experience by children and adolescence regarding parental divorce predicted a greater inability to function normally. This result suggests that a greater amount of familial stress experience by children and adolescence regardless of parental marital status predicted a greater inability to function normally. Results did not support the hypothesis that family environment, social support, and appraisal of stressors are protective factors or that divorce-related stressors are risk factors for children experiencing parental divorce since there was no indication that children who experienced divorce were any worse off then those who did not experience divorce. School Psychology

Recommended Citation

Brownlee, Aaron. "The Effects of Divorce and Its Associated Stressors on Children and Adolescence." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 23, 2007.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2007/oral-session-04/5