Kegan Swensen

Kelly Turnbeaugh
Eng 1010
November 15, 2015
Annotated Bibliography: The Effect of Divorce on Children
As I was issued the prompt of a research paper I wanted to find something that I could
learn and apply to my life. As I was pondering what I should do, it occurred to me that I should
do a research on divorce and the effects it has on children. Since I was raised with divorced
parents, I wanted to know if the research done about this topic pertained to me and to see where I
fit in to those studies. I also wanted to know if the divorcement of my parents has affected me
personally and if it is prominent in my life today.
Children and Divorce. Children and Divorce. Web. 5 Nov. 2015
Summary. When I first started looking for some information I stumbled upon a website that
talks about children and divorce. It has a lot of information about the things children go through
when the divorce occurs and a little bit of information of the long term effects. It also contains
peoples personal experiences with divorce and growing up in divorced families.
Evaluation. Although this information had a lot of information about divorce with statistics and
also talked about information that I needed to use for my essay, I felt it was not a great source. I
might use it a little bit in my essay, but not a lot because it is a website that anyone can add or
change information.

Reflection. This website actually helped me come up with some more keywords that I used in
some of my searches to find more information. Although I wont use it much in my essay I feel
that this website helped me find most of my sources.
Psychological and Emotional Aspects of Divorce. Psychological and Emotional Aspects of
Divorce. Kathleen OConnell Corcoran, Ph.D., June 1997. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.
Summary. As I moved on from the website I decided that I needed information about the
emotional aspects the children experience at the beginning of the divorce and also after the
divorce. As I read this article it gave me some good information about the typical emotions a
child goes through as they experience the divorce. Not only does it talk about the emotional side
it gives what stresses they experience.
Evaluation. I feel that the information in this article give me good insight as the emotions that a
child can feel when their parents get divorced. Also it gives some good insight on the stress
factor that even the children feel as they go through the divorce.
Reflection. I think that this source will be good to bring in some insight as the generalized
feelings of the children giving some emotions they can possibly feel. It will give a generalized
view of divorce with the children.
Matthews, D. Wayne. "Long Term Effects of Divorce on Children." North Carolina Cooperative
Extension Service. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Summary. This article gives some view as to the long term effects that the divorce causes. It
gives some generalized views of how children will feel in five years and also in ten years. It
gives the effects the children experience.

Evaluation. This article gives me the information that I need to show the long term affects the
children feel. All of the previous information gave me generalized information about the initial
effects that the children feel. This will give me the depth that I need.
Reflection. I feel that this source will be useful to me to be able to show that the divorce doesnt
just initially affect the child, but has a long term effect based on how the child has reacted
initially. The topic of long term effects will play a big part in my essay.
Pickhardt, Carl. "The Impact of Divorce on Young Children and Adolescents." Psychology
Today. Sussex Publishers, 19 Dec. 2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Summary. Most of this article focuses on how the age group of the children affects how the
child is affected by the divorce. It goes over how adolescents are affected differently than
younger children. It also goes into how dependent and independent children are affected
differently. Also how they respond to the divorce and come to cope with it.
Evaluation. This article gives some good insight as to how age group plays a big role into the
effects that the child will have from the divorce. It then breaks the age group into smaller groups
based on whether or not the child is dependent or independent.
Reflection. This article will be good for another point of my essay. It gives a good idea of how
age groups are affected differently. Giving my essay another view on whether or not age really
has a big part or not on whether or not the child is affected and how they cope with it.
Swensen, Ashley. Personal Interview. 11/15/15
Summary. I interviewed my sister about her initial response to the divorce and also some long
term affects that she has felt. She stated her feelings at the beginning of the divorce and as time

went on. She also talked about the things that she did to grow from the divorce. She also talked
about her relationship that she has with her dad because of the divorce. She was a good
interviewee because she was 11 when my parents got divorced fitting into the adolescent age
group that Carl Pickhardt talked about in his article.
Evaluation. I feel that the interview was a great idea because it gave me insight about the
feelings that she felt during and after the divorce. It also gives really good evidence to back up
my main points of my essay; these points being, age, initial response, and long term effects of the
divorce. She also helped me to see that the things in my sources are pretty accurate of what was
to be forecasted from the divorce.
Reflection. The interview was a good success because it helped me be able to show evidence of
what it is I am going to be talking about. It also helped me see the divorce of my parents from a
different perspective. She gave me a firsthand look of what it was like being an adolescent when
it happened.
Swensen, Cody. Personal Interview. 11/15/15
Summary. My brother was also a really good person to interview. He talked about the things that
he felt as he went through my parents divorce. He stated that he felt lost and confused and
looked for a fatherly figure in his life because he didnt have my dad when he needed him the
most. He also talked about how now long term he doesnt want to do the same thing to his kids.
He got something positive out of the negative of the divorce.
Evaluation. My brother brought up some really good points about his feelings towards the
divorce. Again, it helped me get more supporting evidence about my topic and also about my
sources that I have found. Everything that my brother mentioned in his interview came back to

each of my sources. He would mention something that would help with my first source and then
tie it into something that helps support my second source.
Reflection. I feel that my brother was also another good person to interview because he gave
Carl Pickhardts article more supporting evidence because he was eight when my parents got
divorced. He brings to the table the view of a younger child to the table. He helped me see what
it was like to be eight when my parents got divorced.