Consequences of Marital Dissolution for Children

The increasing prevalence of divorce in the US has had profound implications for the social, economic, and emotional needs of children. Central are the varying commitments to childrearing of divorced mothers and fathers. Women consider themselves responsible for their children's care regardless of marital status, whereas men tend to disengage from their offspring once a marriage is dissolved. At present, about 25% of US children will spend some time in a single-parent household as a result of divorce, while another 25% will live with a single mother due to nonmarital childbearing. Although children whose parents separate suffer disadvantages compared to those whose parents remain together, there is a lack of consensus on the magnitude and source of these differences and the profile of children at greatest risk of social and emotional problems. When the father moves out, household income declines by an average of 37% and child support transfers are too low to reduce the hardships of living in a single-mother family. Even when responsibility for children is shared with grandparents or the state (through welfare), the disparities between one- and two-parent households persist. The conflict between parents, loss of daily contact with one parent, and disruption of routines and place of residence associated with divorce jeopardize children's emotional security and deprive them of essential socialization experiences. To minimize the harmful effects of divorce on children, single mothers need institutional support, particularly to mitigate the economic liabilities associated with divorce and to ensure high-quality childcare when mothers are working.