Effects of Divorce on Children:

Seventy-one divorced single custodial parents and their 130 5- to 19- year-old children were administered open-ended questionnaires dealing with various aspects of how the children reacted and adjusted to the divorce. Positive reactions and adjustments were found to be related to children's (a) defining divorce in terms of psychological separation between the parents, (b) sharing divorce-related concerns with friends, (c) holding positive evaluations of both parents, and (d) having acquired strengths and responsibilities as a result of the divorce experience.