By Ashley Willis Pam Stefan Ashley Edwards Damarise Hunt

Divorce (or the dissolution of marriage) is the final termination of a martial union, cancelling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties

Except for the death of a spouse or family member, divorce is the greatest stress- producing event in life

 New Jersey 2007  25,687 Divorces January through November  Raked 12 out of 50 states  Florida, Texas, and New York were the top 3 

DivorceMarriages  2007  856,000 US Divorces  Divorce Rate in NJ 3.0%  Ranked 2 nd in the World at 54.8% of Us Marriages ends in divorce  Sweden leads at 54.9%  2007  2,197,000 US Marriages  Marriage Rate in NJ 5.4%  Lowest Marriage rate in the country  China, US, Russia are the top three countries in marriage rate  9,914,000 China  2,205,000 US  1,262,500 Russia

Family Portrait By PINK

 Children become hurt by their parents divorce  They feel unwanted and let down by their parents  Some children even become suicidal  They began to have problem with self-esteem or self-concept  Communication and trust problems also develop after divorce  Many are unable to deal with their emotions (either overly angry or overly sad)

 Many children tend to have a hard time gaining and controlling their own intimate relationship after experiencing divorce of their parents  Some children leave home at a earlier age, get into serious relationships faster and become young parents as a result of divorce  Many females end up in abusive relationships because they don’t have the strong father figure involved in their lives

 Families get broken up. Children sometimes have to deal with joint custody, and are moved back and forth between parents.  Many times the children end up with the mother and they develop a hatred towards their father because he isn't around for them.  Families end up going to divorce court and have to split up everything that the family owns.

 Alienating parent  Disturbed emotionally  Targeted parent  Good intentions  Choosing sides  Childs forced  Brain washed  Childs feelings  Negative feeling towards targeted parent

 Individual Therapy  Cognitive Behavioral  Psychodynamic: Client and Therapist  Group Therapy  Art therapy  Role Playing  Family Therapy  Family and Therapist

INDIVIDUAL THERAPY: Often children find it difficult to express their feelings (anger, sadness, guilt) to their parents. The introduction of a third party, who is not emotionally involved with the child, or parents provides a means for both parent and child to openly communicate.

GROUP THERAPY: In a small group setting, children begin to accept the fact that their parents' divorce is not their fault. They learn that they are not alone, and begin to build their self-esteem. Art therapy, role-playing, and verbalization of feelings are all used to help children cope with the disruption of their family life.

FAMILY THERAPY: Family therapy allows each parent the opportunity to talk with their child and the therapist in a neutral environment.

 The effect of divorce on children who are already considered adults is often dismissed  They are expected to be an “adult” and support their parents through the pain of separation and divorce. This can cause great deals of stress.  They may also be drawn into their parents’ arguments in ways that younger children might not be.

 Studies indicate that the most damaging effect of divorce on children arises early in their adult life. Many children of divorce have trouble finding a mate and creating lasting relationships and marriages themselves  Becoming the child of a split household requires a rapid change in a person’s world view and the way they perceive themselves  It can shatter a person's self-image as one of the “lucky ones” with an intact family and parents who were and are happy together  It forces a reevaluation of an adult’s perception of their childhood.

 Parents going through divorce often lean on an adult child as a confidant  They may use the child to carry messages between parents  They may also tell the child, “You’re just like your mother/father!” This can be detrimental to the adult child’s own healing and development

ChildrenAdults  Serotonin Specific Reuptake Inhibitor for Depression  Antipsychotics for children  Extreme Behavioral Problems  Serotonin Specific Reuptake Inhibitor for Depression  Anti-Anxiety  Prozac  Paxil  Zoloft

 Nutrition/Vitamins  Sublimation  Exercise  Meditation  Breathing Exercises  Yoga  Stress Management

 Parentswithoutpartners.org  Divorce care.com  Responsible-divorce.com