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As you go through and come out of your divorce, keep in mind that you aren’t the only one dealing with the emotional fallout of the process. Your children will likely have some emotional cars as well, and that damage can manifest itself in children’s performance and behavior at school.
Here are a few examples of how a divorce can impact kids’ school performance.
- Distraction: Studies indicate children who are emotionally distressed are more likely to be distracted or disinterested at school, meaning they do not focus on their schoolwork and perform poorly on tests.
- Poor comprehension: A side effect of emotional distraction is poor comprehension. With a lack of focus on their material, children are less likely to comprehend what they’re being taught without additional support.
- Lower aspirations: Even previously high-performing children who deal with emotional duress are more likely to see their aspirations lower and their participation decline.
- Disorders: Children of divorce are more likely to suffer from attention deficit disorder (ADD) and other hyperactivity disorders due to the painful experience they’ve been through.
- Behavioral issues: Children of divorce, or children who deal with emotional turmoil in general, are more likely to act up at school. They might experiment with risky behaviors, begin talking back to teachers or start to bully other students. Studies indicate these forms of acting out are done for parental attention.
- College prospects: Children of divorce are less likely to attend college or other higher education institutions, and only 27 percent will obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher. There are many reasons for this, but divorce is a risk factor.
For more information about the potential effects of divorce on a child’s performance in a school environment, contact an experienced Minneapolis divorce attorney at Appelhof, Pfeifer & Hart, P.A.
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