How Divorce Affects Adolescents’

Psychosocial Development
Group 1
May 11, 2018
SUNY Fredonia
EDU 224-02
Paige Rzepka, Kiara Owen, April Klusek, Chris Muhs, and Erin Gawlak
Research Study Summary
Purpose of Study
Baker and Brassard (2013)

● Use samples of students that have experienced divorce

as well as those with intact families to examine aspects
of adolescent exposure to loyalty/conflict behaviors
and well-being.
Subjects
Baker and Brassard (2013) Orgiles, Carratala, Carballo, Piqueras, and Espada (2013)

● 220 total subjects ● 132 total subjects

● 13-16 years old ● 14-17 years old
● All males ● 51 males and 81 females
● Catholic High School in a city in ● Alicante, Spain
Northeastern United States ● Spanish
● White, Latino, Multiracial, ● SES based on parental
African American, Asian education
● Income: $15,000-$125,000 ○ None or basic, high school
education, or university
education
Methodology
Baker and Brassard (2013)

● Passive consent letters were given to parents 2 weeks prior to the study

(described project, data collected anonymously)

● Each participant was to complete a total of 30 to 40 minute data collection

(via paper questionnaire)

● 5 guidance counselors were present along with a psychologist

Summary of Findings
Baker and Brassard (2013)

● 7 main behaviors were looked for during the study

○ Badmouthing, undermines authority, interferes with communication, keeps secrets,
demands attention, confides in one parent or the other, & tries to turn child against
parent
● Trying to turn adol. against parent - highest rate
● Behaviors and parental loyalty conflicts found more in non-intact families
○ Had a moderate effect on adolescents
● Loyalty Conflict and Childhood Maltreatment
● Loyalty Conflict and Youth Well-Being
● Loyalty Conflict and Interest in Services
Relationship of Findings to Purpose of Study
Baker and Brassard (2013)

● Rates of exposure to such parental loyalty conflicts was predicted and

found to be associated with childhood maltreatment.
○ Confirms and extends previously discovered links to such behaviors based on different
forms of childhood abuse.
● Association with depression is consistent in literature, causing it to be a
hypothesis which has been influenced by multiple emotions over child
behavior.
● Data suggested professionals could benefit from training on exposure of
children to parental conflicts.
● Study did hold limitations.
Textbook Information
● Chapter 4 - Families
○ Pages 95-121
● Chapter 13 - Psychosocial Problems in Adolescence
○ Pages 347-379
Purpose of Study
Orgiles, Carratala, Carballo, Piqueras, and Espada (2013)

● To study whether knowledge and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS, self-concept,

sexual sensation seeking, and social anxiety are related in adolescents

with divorced parents to having sex under the influence of alcohol.

Subjects
Orgiles, Carratala, Carballo, Piqueras, and Espada (2013)

● 132 total subjects

● 14-17 years old
● 51 males and 81 females
● Alicante, Spain
● Spanish
● SES based on parental education
○ None or basic, high school education, or university education
Methodology
Orgiles, Carratala, Carballo, Piqueras, and Espada (2013)

● Parents gave written consent

● Participants completed questionnaires in classrooms (20 students at a

time)

● Each student received them in an order different than their peers to

ensure honest replies

● All previously mentioned variables were measured according to their

respective scales
○ Ex: The Scale of Attitudes Towards AIDS and Risk Behaviors was used
Summary of Findings
Orgiles, Carratala, Carballo, Piqueras, and Espada (2013)

● 20% of adolescents that had sexual relations were under the influence of
alcohol
● Differences were found in knowledge about safe sex
○ HIV and other STDs, etc…
● Adolescents that didn’t have sex under the influence - more positive
predisposition to have safe sex
● Model created to predict safe sex - enforced previous claim
Relationship of Findings to Purpose of Study
Orgiles, Carratala, Carballo, Piqueras, and Espada (2013)

● Studies have linked adolescent sexual behavior to family structure

○ Until now very little was known about variables related to those with divorced parents
● Previous research demonstrated sex under the influence increased
likelihood that relationship would be at risk
● Differences were discovered in regards to social anxiety
● Study holds several limitations and strengths
Textbook Information
● Chapter 10 - Intimacy
○ Pages 261-289
● Chapter 11 - Sexuality
○ Pages 291- 319
Integrative Narrative
Compare and Contrast
Baker and Brassard (2013) Orgiles, Carratala, Carballo, Piqueras, and Espada (2013)

● Income of parents
● Income was more
had a wide range
● Focus on even for all families
● All males divorce and the
effects it has on ● Males and females
● Focused on mental adolescents
● Intimate relationships
health and social
interactions ● Used
questionnaires ● Cross-Sectional Study
● Longitudinal Study to gather
information ● Spain
● United States
Baker and Brassard: Relation to Textbook
Steinberg (2017)
● Divorce begins to negatively
affect adolescent when they
begin feeling insecure and
blame themselves (leads to
anxiety, depression, stress,
etc.)
● Link between stress and
depression (more stress =
more vulnerable to depression)
● Internalization
Baker and Brassard (2013)
● Psychological maltreatment
(limited contact, degrades
other parent, etc.)
● Loyalty conflict behaviors
linked to depression
● Adolescent questions if they
are loved, wanted, worth
something, etc.
Orgiles, Carratala, Carballo, Piqueras, and Espada: Relation to Textbook
Steinberg (2017)
● Adolescents with divorced
parents are more likely to be
sexually active at an earlier age
● Divorce can disrupt
relationship between parent
and child - leads to early
involvement with drugs and
alcohol
Orgiles, Carratala, Carballo, Piqueras, and Espada (2013)
● Adolescents are highly
vulnerable when it comes to
practicing unsafe sex - higher
risk if negative events in life
have occurred (ex. - parental
divorce)
● Alcohol consumption linked to
lower likelihood of using a
condom
● Sex at earlier age
Related Issues Worthy of Further Study
Baker and Brassard (2013) Orgiles, Carratala, Carballo, Piqueras, and Espada (2013)

● focus on more/different ● Longitudinal instead of cross

variables sectional
○ Anxiety, self-esteem, trust, ● Analyze different variables
self-sufficiency ○ Risk behaviors, adolescent’s health
● Gather information from ● Same study but in different
others, not just adolescent location
○ Teachers, close family, friends
(option to opt out)
● Use both male and female
subjects
Authentic Activities
English Concentration (Novel)
This story talks about a girl who is going into
high school and her mother has just recently left
her family unexpectedly. Have the students read
the novel and explore how Maggie not having a
mom in her life affects her personally and in the
way that she handles going into high school.
Students should consider how her situation may
have differed if she had a mother there to support
her in times of confusion/trouble. Initially having
them discuss in small groups and later on opening
it up to more of a larger group would allow for the
largest amounts of thoughts and ideas to flourish. [Photo of Friends With Boys Cover]. Retrieved from
https://www.amazon.com/Friends-Boys-Faith-Erin-Hicks/dp/1
250068169
 Math Concentration
Have the students brainstorm different emotions
they think an adolescent whose parents have
been through a divorce might have felt either
before, during, or after their parents separated.
Write their responses on the board and then take
a survey, having the students raise their hand if
they feel as though this is an accurate feeling.
When counting votes, count how many girls feel it
is accurate then how many boys. Make a chart
that can be left on the board for the students to
refer back to. Have them split into pairs and pick
any four of the emotions on the board and create
a bar graph using the data collected from the
class.
Confused Relieved Conflicted Upset Angry Alone Depressed Surprised Calm

Boys 12 5 7 11 10 5 8 13 2

Girls 10 3 8 13 9 8 10 7 4
English Concentration (Poem) for 11th + 12th Grade
1. Establishing writing techniques and types of poems and ask about
knowledge on mental illness (depression, anxiety, etc.)
2. Invite school psychologist to talk about mental illness
3. Provide examples of poems about mental illnesses
4. Have students follow guidelines that correspond
a. Elements would include :
i. Using a certain number of literary elements
ii. At least a page long with Times New Roman 12 pt. Font
iii. High level of creativity and connections drawn
5. Use a rubric that uses levels between 1 and 4, 1 being lowest grade or
unsatisfactory and 4 being excellent work in the categories according to
their guidelines
Galan, K. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/663295851341684384/
English Concentration (playwright)
● The objective is for students to read and analyze Hamlet
from William Shakespeare's famous play Hamlet.
● Upon completion of a thorough and careful reading of
the play, students will pull specific aspects from the play
and the plays protagonist and make connections to
Adolescents and studies that have been focused on
throughout the course of the semester.
● Questions:
○ What attitudes & Behaviors does Hamlet display
consistently throughout the play? What attitudes
change over time?

[Photo of Hamlet Cover]. Retrieved from

https://www.enotes.com/topics/hamlet
Information Learned
● Adolescents with divorced parents more likely to
○ Have sexual relations
○ Have sexual relations at an earlier age
○ More frequent sexual activity
○ More partners
● Parental loyalty conflicts related to depressions but not disruptive
behavior
● Only 20 percent of adolescents who have had sexual relations did so
under the influence of alcohol
● Adolescents are much more deeply affected by one parent pinning the
child against another than surface level
● Adolescents with divorced parents are more likely to feel confused or lost
than adolescents with married parents.
References
Baker, A.J., & Brassard, M.R. (2013, July). Adolescents caught in parental loyalty conflicts. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 54(5),

393-413. doi:10.1080/10502556.2013.800398

Hicks, F. E. (2015). Friends with boys. New York: Square Fish.

Galan, K. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/663295851341684384/

Hicks, F. E. (2015). Friends with boys. New York: Square Fish.

Orgiles, M., Carratala, E., Carballo, J.L., Piqueras, J.A., & Espada, J.P. (2013). Factors associated with sex under the influence of

alcohol among adolescents with divorced parents. Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, 22(2), 150-162.

doi:10.1080/1067828X.2012.730367

[Photo of Friends With Boys Cover]. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Friends-Boys-Faith-Erin-Hicks/dp/1250068169

[Photo of Hamlet Cover]. Retrieved from https://www.enotes.com/topics/hamlet

Shakespeare, W. (1996). Hamlet. London, England: Penguin Books.

Steinberg, L. (2017). Adolescence (11th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.