DEVELOPMENTAL FACTORS
Age and developmental level are important factors that shape children’s initial reactions
to marital disruption. Thus, program content is also tailored to variations in reactions that
divorce predisposes in children of different ages. For example, issues of loyalty conflicts,
anger, and feelings of stigma and isolation are more predominant in responses among
nine- to twelve-year-old youngsters; while intense sadness, confusion, guilt, and fears of
abandonment are prominent among six- to eight-year-olds (Wallerstein & Kelly, 1980).
Therefore, such differing clinical profiles indicate the need to shape the central themes
and focal issues of the intervention to the special attributes of particular age groups. For
example, with seven- and eight-year-olds, puppet play, interactive use of books, games,
and activities are used to accomplish program objectives in an engaging format. Younger
children play the “Red Light—Green Light Game” to help them differentiate between
solvable (green light) and unsolvable (red light) problems, and the “Tic-Tac-Toe”
game to help them learn to generate alternatives, evaluate the consequences, and choose
the most appropriate solution to common problems.