A study from the City University of New York (CUNY) suggests that children who have experienced divorce may also experience instability with finances, academics, and employment and develop the tendency to use cigarettes and alcohol.

1. Studies Explore the Behavioral
Effects Divorce Can Have on
Children
The Law Offices of Ian S. Mednick, P.C.

2. A study from the City University of New York (CUNY) suggests that children who have experienced
divorce may also experience instability with finances, academics, and employment and develop
the tendency to use cigarettes and alcohol.
A related study that used data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development
examined the internalizing and externalizing behavior problems of children. Children from ages 5
to 15 underwent assessments to see if divorce affected their current behaviors.
The study found out that children from divorced families had more pronounced behavior problems
in comparison with children from intact families. One of the key factors that affected child
behavior problems after a divorce is family income.
Children from families with higher incomes before the divorce also had fewer internalizing
problems than children from families with lower incomes. Additional analysis showed children
were more likely to exhibit behavior problems if the post-divorce home environment was less
supporting and stimulating.

3. Problems That Arise After Divorce
The study suggests that the most common problems divorced couples face relate to child support,
visitation, property division, remarriage, and the rearing of the children. Sometimes, the parent’s
personal issues and upbringing interfere with their ability to co-parent.
Research has found that a child’s adjustment after a divorce also depends on his parent’s
psychological health and the relationship they have between their parents and their home
environment. The study suggests that the handling of the divorce prior and after the separation
affects children the most.

4. What Divorced Parents Should Do
The study advised parents to learn to co-parent. Additionally, research also suggests that if the
parents resolve their issues, the father is likely to find parenting easier and more enjoyable,
positively benefiting the children.
Mediation helps divorced parents reconcile their differences, as one study in divorce mediation
found. Though there is a resolution in conflict and tension, it does not translate to parents getting
back together. They can simply co-parent in a way that provides the child with a stimulating and
supportive environment after the marriage has been dissolved.

5. Resources:
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3353&context=gc_etds
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5051343/
https://www.divorceattorneyinlongisland.com
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4240051/
https://www.verywellfamily.com/psychological-effects-of-divorce-on-kids-4140170