How does divorce affect adolescent development?
The risk of various negative outcomes (e.g., lower school engagement and achievement, risk-taking, depression) is increased, but the effect on any individual adolescent depends on many other factors, including the child’s history of behavior and well-being, the degree of conflict between the parents, the parenting and parent-child relationships that occur in the wake of the divorce (a biggie), and the extent of support outside the family (peers, extended family, other adults). Are the children of divorced parents more likely to get divorced than children of parents who stayed together? Yes, children of divorce are more likely to divorce themselves. There are lots of reasons that might account for this, including genetic similarities between parents and children and the impact of dysfunctional relationships that sometimes accompany divorce. However, as with adolescent development, there is variability in adult outcomes, and many children of divorce grow up to have healthy relationships
