THE INTERESTS OF CHILDREN AFTER PARENTAL DIVORCE: A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE1

Abstract
The paper reports available British data from cross sectional and longitudinal studies examining the long-term impact of parental divorce on children's life chances. We suggest that an effect can be traced, lowering the educational attainment of both sexes and the socio-economic status of males in their mid-twenties following parental divorce or separation before the age of fifteen years. This effect is reduced but not removed by remarriage of the custodial parent. The paper is descriptive rather than prescriptive but suggests that the issue of children's life chances should find a place in the agenda when the policy issues surrounding divorce are discussed.

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