Many studies have reported that children of divorced parents experience more problems in adjustment than children who grow up in intact families. Much of the research suggests that children of divorce are more likely to have more difficulties in school and to be more sexually active, more aggressive, more anxious, more withdrawn, less prosocial, more depressed, and more likely to abuse substances and participate in delinquent acts than their peers from intact families.

 

Most children's adjustment problems occur within the first two years following their parent's divorce or remarriage. Still, some children, who appear to be adjusting well early-on, will experience a reemergence of problems during adolescence. Research indicates that while behavior problems are common at the time of divorce, they typically diminish as time passes. Most children will eventually adapt successfully to this life transition and have no long-term ill effects.

 

Gender may also affect vulnerability and difficulties. Boys exhibit higher levels of poor adjustment post-divorce than do girls. However, problems related to sex differences tend to be reported only when children live with unremarried mothers. When children live with their custodial father or a remarried family, girls exhibit poorer adjustment, whereas boys fare better than those in mother-custody homes. Gender differences in adjustment are likely to depend on multiple factors such as sex of custodial parent, parenting style, marital status, parent-child relationships, and amount of contact with non-custodial parent.