The Session: Children of Divorce

Psalm 27:10, "Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me"

Key Statistics and Findings Relational Wisdom 360

• Religious Impact: Children of divorced parents are more likely to become nonreligious; 35% of children from divorced families are nonreligious compared to their peers.
• Adult Faith: Divorce can cause children to feel isolated from their religious community
• Relationship Challenges: Children from divorced homes often struggle with fear of failure, abandonment, and conflict.
• Social & Academic Effects: Children of divorce are more likely to experience lower academic performance, and increased instances of delinquency and substance use.
• Long-Term Consequences: A 2025 study found that children of divorce had a higher likelihood of teen pregnancy and increased mortality rates compared to children from continuously married parents.

Dr. Judith Wallerstein Study

In a landmark study, psychologist Judith Wallerstein followed a group of children of divorce from the 1970s into the 1990s. She interviewed them at eighteen months, five, ten, fifteen, and twenty-five years after the divorce. The results were:

• Continued experiencing fear of failure,
• Fear of loss
• change
• Fear of conflict

Study Data

The Center for Economic Studies released the findings of a research project, where they surveyed 5 million children of divorce. Data shows that children of divorced parents have an elevated risk of jail time (40% increase), elevated risk of mortality (45% increase), increased risk of teen birth (60% increase) 9-13% less income

Other Important Implications

• Without two parents and one of the parents working, children are often times left alone. Their answer to that is to go on social media and other screens for attention and relationship
• Children of divorce are often unable to participate in after school activities

What do you want your children to learn about marriage and family?

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To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.