Risk and Protective Factors in Young Children's Adjustment to Parental Divorce: A Review of the Research

This article reviews the literature on parental divorce and early childhood development, using developmental psychopathology as all organizing framework. With respect to young children, three questions are addressed: How does parental divorce affect developmental outcomes? What risk and protective factors influence adaptation? How does early parental divorce affect later adjustment? Because this review is unique in its focus on divorce-related issues specific to young children, limitations of existing research are noted and directions for future research are suggested.