Prominent Risk Factors:
Gender—Boys are more at risk than girls, primarily be cause mothers are awarded custody more often that fa thers. It is difficult because the same-gender parent, the father, is no longer living in the home. The absence of the male role-model makes it more difficult for boys to adjust to divorce.
Age—Younger children are at risk short-term due to confusion surrounding the divorce and the loss of the parent no longer living in the home. Younger children are less able to make sense of all the changes that are occurring. Preadolescent and adolescent children are more at risk over the long-term, because in the short term their close alignment with their peers represses their feelings regarding their parents’ divorce.
Socioeconomic status—Standard of living often changes dramatically following divorce. Less money can mean some of the children’s needs may not be met.
The degree to which the child was drawn into marital conflict. The more a child is part of the parental con flict, the more confusion, frustration, anger, and loyalty conflicts he or she is likely to experience.
Relationship with each parent before the divorce. If pre-divorce relationships with parents were positive and nurturing, the risk for post-divorce problems is reduced. If problems with parent-child relationships existed be fore the divorce, those problems will likely become worse following the divorce.
Parents’ inability to separate their roles as parent and spouse. Divorcing spouses who cannot peaceably make decisions about their children’s welfare and negotiate issues related to the children, put those children at in creased risk for problems.
Continual open conflict between spouses. The greater the conflict between the parents, the greater the risk for children to experience emotional turmoil.
The perceived loss of the non-custodial parent. Unless extra care is taken by both parents to nurture the rela tionship between the non-custodial parent and the child, a child may feel loss and even abandonment.