Survey Says Divorce Has More Impact on Children of High-Income Families

Divorce makes children face the fearful prospect that their mom and dad aren’t happy anymore. Even when love is lavished on the children, they feel anxiety around the breakup and resulting changes.  Older kids bear the burden of increased understanding, while remaining helpless to change the situation.

What research has shown is that the effects of all this upheaval tend to be temporary. Three years seems to be the magic number, after which point the children have generally adjusted to the new order of things.

That is, except for the rich ones.

Affluent Children of Divorce Negatively Affected

While one might expect children of wealthy families to bounce back more quickly from the stress of their parents’ divorce, the reverse seems to be true. According to a collaborative U.S. university study using data collected from the mothers of nearly 4,000 children over a 20-year period, divorce affects rich kids more than those from moderate to low-income families.

It seems that when it comes to divorce, this poor-little-rich-kid syndrome manifested in children from the top income group in such areas as aggression, anxiety, low self-esteem, defiance and bullying.

Absent Fathers Are a Likely Factor

Although the data left little doubt that children of high-income families were more vulnerable to the effects of divorce, the whys are more difficult to pinpoint.

Rebecca Ryan, one of the lead researchers, hypothesized that because fathers are the main or primary breadwinners in 60% of families, and fathers are typically the ones to leave the household after a divorce, the resulting drop in family income was a significant factor.

Drastically lowered income could result in dramatic lifestyle changes: families having to move, children having to change schools, and a loss of such perks as private tutors and lessons.

As well, while single-parent families are common across middle to low-income families, they are less common among higher-income families, which may leave these children feeling singled out, depressed and alone.

Children of Divorce Want to See Both Parents

Does the research suggest that wealthy parents should avoid calling a divorce lawyer for the sake of the children? No, but instead of presuming that wealth will insulate their children from negative emotions, divorcing parents should prioritize their children’s feelings and desires.

There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that regardless of who the custodial parent is, both parents play a crucial role in their children’s development – and that, more than routines, what helps children get through the difficulties of divorce is being able to see both parents whenever they wish.

How Divorce Mediation Can Help Bridge the Gap

Mediation can help both parents achieve the goal of increased involvement in their children’s lives, which in turn is said to lead to better-adjusted children who do better academically and economically.

If you have children and are in need of legal help regarding divorce, fill out the form on the right to request your free, private phone consultation with an experienced Toronto divorce lawyer.  The legal team at Fine & Associates Professional Corporation has over 20 years of experience helping Toronto families amicably separate through mediation without stepping inside a court room.  If divorce is indeed the answer, Fine & Associates can help make the process smoother for the whole family.