P2: Podcast

Stereotyping = Powerlessness: Children of Divorce

Hello there! My name is Rachael Gilardi and the following podcast is about a topic that literally makes me shudder...divorce! In my podcast, I explore some of the scholarly research that has been published regarding the effects divorce has on children and how stereotyping this social group creates powerlessness among them. If you or someone you know have been affected by divorce in some way, you know that there are many groups stereotyped in the process, for example, single mothers, "deadbeat" dads, biased judges, etc. The research studies I have chosen to review, look at it from a child's perspective. While this topic is not new, many of the studies I've researched are and are showing a shift in formerly published studies. As a result, there are conflicting views as to whether all the negative effects are contributed to the process of divorce or whether other factors lead to the negative psychological effects, ie. high parental conflict or financial burden. There are also results published that argue divorce can have positive effects on children. This podcast discusses the shift in research as well as the effects and the stereotypes created by divorce. If more and more awareness is brought to this topic, it is possible that an intervention of some sort will happen within the legal system (either family law or judicial) to mitigate the damage divorce can cause. Happy listening!

View my script.

Works Cited

Amato, P R, and Bruce Keith. “Parental divorce and the well-being of children: a meta-analysis.” Psychological bulletin, vol. 110, no. 1, 1991, pp. 26-46, doi:10.1037/0033-2909.110.1.26.

Giancarlo, Christine, and Kara Rottmann. “Kids Come Last: The Effect of Family Law Involvement in Parental Alienation.” The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences: Annual Review, 2015, vol. 9, pp. 27-42.

Kelly, Joan B., and Robert E. Emery. “Children's Adjustment Following Divorce: Risk and Resilience Perspectives.” Family Relations, vol. 52, no. 4, 2003, pp. 352–62, www.jstor.org/stable/3700316. Accessed 27 Sept 2020.

Rappaport, Sol R. “Deconstructing Impact of Divorce on Children.” Family Law Quarterly, vol. 47, no. 3, Fall 2013, pp. 353-77.

Sandler, Irwin N., et al. “Coping, Stress, and the Psychological Symptoms of Children of Divorce: A Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Study.” Child Development, 1994, pp. 1744-63.

Weaver, Jennifer M., and Thomas J. Schofield. “Mediation and Moderation of Divorce Effects on Children’s Behavior Problems. Journal of Family Psychology, February 2015, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 39-48.