Parental Separation, be it Annulment, Legal Separation or Divorce, can cause serious emotional distress and behavioral shifts in children, leading to various emotions like sadness and fear, and acting-out behaviors.
Children may experience intense emotional responses such as sadness, anger, and fear immediately after parental separation. They will experience grief, their self-esteem takes a great hit, and lose interest in normal routines. They may also express resentment towards one or both parents. They may also fear for their future.
When anger and resentment gets worse, children in parental separation may lash out towards one or both parents. They may show defiance, temper tantrums, or fight with peers and siblings.
Especially if emotional effects still linger in children up to adolescence, they may take on rebellious behavior such as skipping classes, substance use and early sexual activity.
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