Photo: Pyrat Wesly (flickr)
Divorce is a devastating event to a family. When parents separate, the children often feel neglected. However, new research shows that divorce affects boys more than girls.
Divorce And Outcome
The study reports that boys who had parents divorce before they were 18 are more likely to consider suicide than boys whose parents were not divorced.
Girls were not significantly affected by divorce. While girls did think about suicide more than their non-divorced-parents peers, their thoughts could be related to traumatic experiences such as childhood abuse.
Divorce was previously thought to greatly impact girls because they are more susceptible to depression and suicidal thoughts.
Yet, with more mothers getting full-custody of children, it helps explain why boys would be worse off. Boys need a male role model when growing up. When their fathers leave, they are less likely to have a male figure to go to for help.
Majority Do Fine!
It is important to note that these results happen in a minority of divorces. Not every child of divorce will be depressed or suicidal. In fact, suicide is a rare event all together.
- Sons of Divorce Fare Worse Than Daughters (The New York Times)