Question: Is divorce really as destructive to children as we have been led to believe?
Answer: Children are amazingly resilient, and they do manage to "bounce back" from some severe traumas and crises. Much depends, of course, on how much conflict they witness and how wisely the parent in custody is able to handle the problems. Generally speaking, however divorce is extremely difficult for the children involved. The comedian Jonathan Winters verified this fact when he appeared as the guest on a television interview program. The host asked Mr. Winters to describe his early childhood, and he became unusually serious as he spoke. He described the disintegration of his family when Jonathan was seven years old, and how deeply he was hurt by the divorce. He said the other children would tease and laugh at him because he didn't have a father and he reacted with anger. He would fight his tormentors and shake his fist in their faces, but when they were not looking he would go off behind a tree or building and cry. Mr. Winters indicated that he later learned to laugh his way out of trouble, but admitted that all of his adult humor is a response to sorrow.
Children of broken homes usually learn to cope with their situation, one way or another, but emotional impact will never be completely forgotten.
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