Divorce and Teenagers
Disruption of the family unit can interfere with the developmental process of adolescence. The typical feelings of teenagers following parental divorce are anger, sadness, and anxiety. Angry feelings may be directed at the perceived "bad" parent and also may be diffuse. Angry responses may appear to be selfish behaviors but actually reflect the self-absorption and egocentricity of adolescence. Sadness may be masked by anger, and anxiety may be related to feelings about the adolescents' own sexuality. They may be forced to confront the reality of their parents' sexuality because of recognition of extramarital affairs that may surface at the time of divorce and by postdivorce sexual activity by both parents.
