Two out of five children will experience the divorce of their parents before reaching the age of eighteen (D. Matthews). Research suggests that divorce harms children and affects their development in various ways. Research also suggests that divorce has both short- and long-term effects on children. This article will focus on the history of divorce in our society and current statistics, how divorce affects the level of trust in family and social relationships, and how divorce creates an unhealthy state of confusion in children/teenagers. Divorce statistics are only increasing. . The 1970s were a time of high divorce rates. Information collected in a study on the long-term effects of divorce on children indicates that divorce rates increased by 70 percent in the United States between 1970 and 1977. The facts presented in the study on the long-term effects term show that the reality of divorce today is that 2 out of 5 children will experience a divorce. If divorced before age 18, approximately 25 percent of children will spend time in a stepfamily and there are approximately 1,250,000 divorces per year (D. Matthews). What is certain is that divorce affects children. Trust and relationships are affected by parental divorce. The definition of trust is the belief that someone or something is reliable; an addiction to something future. Divorce affects levels of trust and can change the way trust is managed in relationships. Trust is undermined when a child loses the security of both parents living together, and girls and boys react differently to divorce. “Girls feel a need for love and attention and fear abandonment, and are prone to both lust and anxiety” (Fagan and Churchill). It is a challenge for girls to make decisions about marriage and they ...... middle of paper ...... find ways to support children of divorce and help maintain healthy trusting relationships and reduce the confusion children feel. Children are the most vulnerable in the event of divorce and it is important to support them. Works CitedCameron, Leah “Divorce, the Possible Negative Emotional and Psychological Consequences in Children” ESSAY: Vol. 6, article 15. http://dc.cod.edu/ssais/vol6/issl/15.Debord, Karen. “The Effects of Divorce on Children.” Focus on the children. ndWeb. April 16, 2014. Fagan, Patrick R. and Churchill, Aaron “Marri Research Research Sythesis” The Effects of Divorce on Children. January 2012. Web. April 16, 2014Matthews, Wayne D. “Divorce on Children” Ces.ncsu.edu March 5, 2011, Web 02. March 2014Pickhardt Carl “The Impact of Divorce on Young Children and Adolescents” Surviving Adolescence (from your children). December 19, 2011. Web. Apr 16 2014.