Example Of Research Proposal On Children Of Divorce

Carrie A. Miller

Devry Institute of Technology
Divorce continues to pervade contemporary societies. At the onset, people advocating for the conservation of the nuclear family oppose any form of marital separation, including divorce. The notorious impacts were perceived to include instigation of behavioral problems to children which consequently affect academic, psychosocial, and holistic well-being. As such, the current research study aims to explore potential consequences of divorce from the perspectives of children. The research proposal hereby outlines the overview of the research through presenting crucial details on the topic, context, and targeted audience for the study. Likewise, the rationale and evidence for the research would be provided through identifying the research that has been gathered so far and that which still needs to be conducted. Finally, the concluding portion would highlight information on what is proposed to be achieved, as well as concerns that would generate support and approval for the research.
I. Introduction

Research question: Does divorce naturally impact the children on a negative light;

especially bearing significant adverse consequences on the psychosocial and academic performance?
Working thesis: Depending on the situation and relevant factors, children may not always be affected negatively, especially in terms of psychosocial well-being and academic performance, as a result of having divorced parents.
Angle: My angle on this issue will be that there is an initial adjustment period in which children will go through when their parents divorce. As such, depending on the situation, children may not always be affected negatively as a result of having divorced parents. Variables including age of development, home structure, level of conflict, and each child’s ability to cope with stress, are factors to be considered as contributory to the short and long-term adjustment.

Context

1. Justification for relevance of the topic: The topic is relevant since previous studies
and statistics on the effects of divorce on children give credence to the predominance of
negative impacts. I would like to explore the possibility that the stereotyped belief that
the occurrence is not always necessarily true or valid.

Justification for the reader why I am qualified to write about it: This subject

personally hits home as a child of divorced parents. My parents divorced when I was twelve years old after seventeen years of marriage. The experience definitely made me question my own desire to get married. As such, I would like to explore whether other children experienced similar traumas and how their parents’ divorce impacted on their psychosocial well-being and academic performance. The study seeks to identify areas that preclude children of divorced parents from keeping an open perspective on the relevant decisions in life.

Audience

1. My primary audience would include individuals that have experienced divorce of
parents, as well as educators, and family support practitioners.
My secondary audiences are my professor, Professor Berardi who would review and critique my paper; as well as classmates and fellow students who could also provide peer reviews.
My audience would equally share my opinions and values; yet be open to embrace new information and knowledge that could emerge from the research.
II. Evidence
Research gathered: There had been several research articles that have been reviewed to provide support and validate my current study. Despite onset perception on the negative effects of divorce of parents to children (Hansen, 2013; Potter, 2010; Fagan, 1999), there are studies that presented beneficial impacts of divorce (Bennet, 2012). Specifically, in the areas of psychosocial well-being and academic performance, the study of Potter (2010) was more comprehensively evaluated. Likewise, Kim (2011) confirmed negative effects in terms of influencing academic performance and interpersonal skills.
Research to be gathered: For my contrasting article, Fagan (1999) initially admits that
the effects of divorce on children were classified into severity (mild to severe), expansive (small to massive), and time bound (short to long term). This was apparently corroborated by Arkowitz & Lilienfeld (2013) who emphasized pronounced impacts of parents’ divorce on children only in the short term period.
III. Conclusion
I propose to achieve a validation in my thesis that children may not always be affected negatively, especially in terms of psychosocial well-being and academic performance, as a result of having divorced parents. Although it could be surmised that at the short-term period, or immediately during and after the divorce, the impact to the children could be devastating, shocking, or surprisingly unexpected, children would eventually learn to adjust and adapt to the situation. As such, the factors that the study would validate is aimed at confirming which forces assist in enabling children to become more resilient and look forward with optimism in the future. Therefore, current and future implications of the study should shed light on the proposed techniques, approaches, strategies, or methods that would assist children of divorced parents to bounce back and use the experience to their advantage.
IV. References
Arkowitz, H., & Lilienfeld, S. (2013, February 14). Is Divorce Bad for Children? Retrieved
Bennett, S. (2012, May 18). Divorce and Kids: 5 Ways Divorce Benefits Kids. Retrieved January
19, 2015, from Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/divorce-and-kids-5-ways-d_n_1519485.html
Fagan, P. (1999, November 8). The Effects of Divorce on Children. Retrieved January 19, 2015,
Hansen, L. (2013, March 28). 9 negative effects divorce reportedly has on children. Retrieved
Kim, H. (2011). Consequences of Parental Divorce for Child Development. American

Sociological Review, 76(3), 487–511.

Potter, D. (2010). Psychosocial Well-Being and the Relationship Between Divorce and
Children’s Academic Achievement. Journal of Marriage and Family, 933 – 946.