The Relationship Between Experienced Parents’ Divorce and Their Circumstancs With Young Adults’ Behavioral and Emotional Difficulties

Abstract

Parents’ divorce is a phenomenon affecting the further psychosocial functioning of children. It is established that the divorce consequences on children are long-term: adults who have experienced parents’ divorce in childhood are characterized by poorer mental health, also they are having clearer emotional and behavioral difficulties. Researchers argue that not the divorce fact itself is the most important in assessing the consequences for children but rather the circumstances of parents’ divorce. After analysing the most detrimental divorces’ circumstances this study focuses on the child’s negative feelings, experienced during the divorce, the intensity of parents’ conflicts, the child’s involvement in conflicts, and negative changes afterwards.The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between young adults’ behavioral and emotional difficulties and parents’ divorce experienced in childhood or adolescence as well as its circumstances.The study involved 173 young adults. Behavioral and emotional difficulties are assessed by ASEBA (Adult Questionnaire). In order to assess the impact of parents’ divorce and its circumstances, a questionnaire (Viršilaitė, Bukšnytė-Marmienė, 2018) was used. The study found that the child’s negative feelings during parents’ divorce predict young adults’ aggression, rules’ braking, anxiety/depression, self-closure also emotional and behavioral difficulties in general. The intensity of parents’ conflicts during divorce predicts aggression in young adults.

Trust in relationships: a preliminary investigation of the influence of parental divorce, breakup experiences, adult attachment style, and close relationship beliefs on dyadic trust

“…This study aimed to investigate how attachment style (anxious, avoidant), experiences about parents' divorce and breakdown of one's own romantic relationship, and relationship beliefs are related to the level of dyadic trust in romantic relationships. The findings were consistent with previous research showing that experiencing one's own relationship breakdown (Roth et al, 2014) or parental divorce or separation can reduce dyadic trust in relationships (Størksen et al, 2006;Oldehinkel et al, 2008;Viršilaite and Bukšnyte-Marmiene, 2021). Similarly, our findings among Turkish students highlighted the significance of relationship beliefs (intimacy, individuality, passion, and external factors) and attachment styles (avoidant, secure) in dyadic trust (Campbell and Stanton, 2019).…”

“…In addition to attachment style and beliefs related to close relationships, previous experiences of relationship breakdown or parents' divorce might influence the level of trust the young adults experience in their relationships (Roth et al, 2014). Earlier research shows that women who have experienced parental divorce in childhood or adolescence tend to distrust others (Størksen et al, 2006;Oldehinkel et al, 2008;Viršilaite and Bukšnyte-Marmiene, 2021). In the present study, young adults' experiences with relationship breakdown and parents' divorce history were measured.…”