• 27
  • June
    2011

A new study has found that divorce may be a factor that contributes to Colorado girls dropping out of school. The report does not suggest, however, that this is inevitable. Rather, it provides food for thought for couples who are contemplating divorce and should remind them of a factor - their children's well-being - that they will want to consider carefully as they take their next steps.

The Women's Foundation of Colorado recently released a three-year study called the Girls' Dropout Prevention Report. It found that the 6,000 Colorado girls who leave school each year do so because of social pressures. One such pressure was disruption caused by divorce. When parents separate, it can be emotionally taxing on a child, which can lead to them making school less of a priority.

Parents in Denver and elsewhere naturally want their daughters to complete their education. Without schooling, children face a much more difficult time finding gainful employment and getting ahead in life. It's fair to say, then, that no one intends his or her divorce to lead to a child failing to complete school.

Once again, it is far from certain a child will drop out of school if her parents divorce , but parents will want to make sure that their children's needs are attended to when the parents are going through a divorce. Some simple ways to do this include speaking calmly and honestly with children (if they're old enough) about why you and your spouse are separating. Keeping calm and civil in front of children also goes a long way towards promoting harmony and comfort. If you think your child might be having difficulty with your divorce, your attorney may know of a family specialist he or she can recommend.

In short, paying attention to your child's needs as you go through divorce will keep things running smoothly and prevent things like dropping out of school from happening.

Source: The Colorado Springs Independent "Dropout lessons learned," Chet Hardin, 16 June 2011