CHILDRENS PROBLEMS FOLLOWING PARENTAL SEP ARATION - A DIFFERENTIAL AND LONGITUDINAL APPROACH

This paper studies the consequences of parental separation/divorce for children within the framework of the Cologne Longitudinal Study. Adju stment processes in children, mothers, and fathers were assessed at th ree waves (10, 25, and 40 months after separation) in a sample of 60 f amilies. Results showed that children's problem scores immediately fol lowing separation were much higher than in a control group of intact f amilies, particularly among younger children. However, the longitudina l trend was toward continuous improvement. Beyond this general pattern of change, cluster analysis revealed three different developmental pa tterns of childhood stress. These were labeled ''highly stressed,'' co ping with stress,'' and ''lowly stressed.'' The clusters also revealed correlations between children's adjustment measures and specific risk or protective factors. Alongside the child's individual competencies and socioeconomic background, these particularly referred to the form of parent-child relations and the relationship to the former spouse.