A Non-Monolithic Experience: A Quantitative Analysis of the Impact Divorce has on Children
Open AccessExperiencing a parental divorce can be a traumatizing experience for children, but this notion is not consistent throughout previous literature. While earlier studies on the effects of parental divorce use White Americans as the baseline, there is an urgent need for African American-centered family research in order to take into consideration cultural aspects that are unique to Black families. Moreover, previous research fails to incorporate a substantial amount of people of color. This study aims to fill this gap by incorporating a sample that is composed predominately of minority youth. This study examines what factors, controlling for a parental divorce, predict a child’s mental health and school aspirations using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study of 2018. Results show that when controlling for divorce, Black youth, compared to White counterparts, and those who come from higher household incomes and better home environments report having greater confidence in their likelihood of graduating from college. However, children living with one biological parent and those who experience parental divorce between the ages of twelve and fourteen report having less confidence in completing college. Furthermore, results reveal males are more likely to have mental health issues. Meanwhile, experiencing divorce before twelve years old and having a better home environment that lacks abuse is found to cause fewer mental health issues. However, there is still a need for future studies to exclusively study each racial and ethnic group to obtain culturally sound research.
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