Delayed Parental Divorce: How Much Do Children Benefit?

(2001) - Frank F. Furstenberg, Kathleen E. Kiernan

Journal: Journal of Marriage and Family
Link:: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2001.00446.x
DOI:: 10.1111/j.1741-3737.2001.00446.x
Links::
Tags:: #paper #NCDS #Family #Transition
Cite Key:: [@Furstenberg2001]

Abstract

This study compares children who experienced divorce in childhood with those who were young adults when their parents divorced to differentiate between long-term effects of divorce resulting from preexisting factors, including the child’s behavioral problems and psychological status as well as the family’s economic circumstances, and those resulting from divorce itself. We used National Child Development Study data on 11,409 British children born in 1958 and followed up until age 33. Children’s long-term welfare appears to be linked both to conditions preceding and following the divorce event. The results point to some limitations of existing studies on divorce and suggest caution in drawing conclusions about average effects of divorce. The impact of divorce appears to be a complex blend of selection and socialization.

Notes

“This study compares children who experienced divorce in childhood with those who were young adults when their parents divorced to differentiate between long-term effects of divorce resulting from preexisting factors,” (Furstenberg and Kiernan, 2001, p. 446)

“Children’s long-term welfare appears to be linked both to conditions preceding and following the divorce event” (Furstenberg and Kiernan, 2001, p. 446)

“The results seem to point to a complex blend between the two explanations. First, we discovered that only a small part of the seeming effects of divorce are attenuated when we control for a package of predivorce measures including both background characteristics of the family and measures of how the child was doing at age 7 before parents separated.” (Furstenberg and Kiernan, 2001, p. 454)

“Adults whose parents divorced when they were between the ages of 7 and 16 had lower educational attainment and were more likely to be poor, but these differences were somewhat attenuated (especially for male participants) when we controlled for predivorce differences” (Furstenberg and Kiernan, 2001, p. 454)