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THE CHAIRMAN OPENED THE MEETING WITH a presentation of statistical data pertaining to families and children involved in divorce action. During the last two decades in the United States, the rate of divorce has more than doubled and the number of children involved in divorce action has tripled. In focusing on divorce and its effect on children, we are in keeping with the eleven-year tradition of these workshop meetings which deal with the cutting edge of the theoretical and observational data pertaining to young, vulnerable children.
Judith S. Wallerstein presented a paper on the effects of parental divorce, continuity, and change at five years. She mentioned her earlier papers which reported on the initial responses of children and adolescents to marital rupture. Those responses were primarily reflective of the child's age and developmental achievements at a time of the acute stress of parental separation and divorce. Findings at eighteen months and five years post-separation also suggested that continuing relationships with both parents, restored caretaking, and diminution of bitterness between the parents, were related to good outcome for the child. This study began with 131 children and adolescents from 60 divorcing families. Children with psychiatric disorders