This study examined differences between the children in divorced families and non-divorced families in emotional expressiveness, ambivalence over emotional expressiveness, and behavior problems based on grade and gender. And the study also researched ...
This study examined differences between the children in divorced families and non-divorced families in emotional expressiveness, ambivalence over emotional expressiveness, and behavior problems based on grade and gender. And the study also researched the children's protective factors: custodial parent, existence of grandparents, and sibling in terms of emotional expressiveness, ambivalence over emotional expressiveness, and behavior problems in divorced families. For this study, 380 elementary school students in grades 4th, 5th, and 6th were asked to complete Emotional Expressiveness Questionnaire (EEQ), Ambivalence Over Emotional Expressiveness Questionnaire (AEQ), and Korean Youth Self Report (K-YSR). First, the results have shown that the children in divorced families showed higher emotional expressiveness than the children in non-divorced families. Among sub-factors, higher grade of the children in non-divorced families showed lower intimate emotional expressiveness; however, higher grade of the children in divorced families showed higher intimate emotional expressiveness. Higher grade of the children in divorced families showed lower ambivalence over emotional expressiveness than the children in non-divorced families. Among sub-factors, in case of the children in non-divorced families, fifth grade showed higher than forth grade, and then sixth grade showed lower than fifth grade on positive ambivalence over emotional expressiveness. However, in case of the children in divorced families, fifth grade showed lower than forth grade, and sixth grade showed similar with fifth grade. Higher grade of the children in non-divorced families showed higher negative ambivalence over emotional expressiveness, however, higher grade of the children in divorced families showed lower negative ambivalence over emotional expressiveness. Boys in non-divorced families showed higher ambivalence over emotional expressiveness and among sub-factors, positive ambivalence over emotional expressiveness than girls, however, boys in divorced families showed similar results with girls. The children in divorced families showed more behavior problems than the children in non-divorced families, and internal problems and external problems were also shown more. Among sub-factors in internal problems, the children in divorced families showed more physical symptoms, depression and anxiety. Second, children with the father as the custodial parent showed more behavior problems than the mother, and internal problems and external problems were also shown more. Among sub-factors in internal problems, the children in father as the custodial parent showed more withdrawal, physical symptoms, depression and anxiety. And among sub-factors in external problems, the children in father as the custodial parent showed more delinquency and aggression. In father as the custodial parent, the children who do not have siblings showed more behavior problems; however, the children who have siblings showed noticeably less. However, in mother as the custodial parent, the children who have siblings showed more behavior problems than the children who do not have any siblings. Internal problems and external problems were also shown. Withdrawal, depression and anxiety in sub-factors of internal problems, and aggression in sub-factors of external problems were also shown. When the children have siblings, external problems and among sub-factors, aggression were same between father as the custodial parent and mother as the custodial parent. Third, in the case of children in non-divorced families, emotional expressiveness and ambivalence over emotional expressiveness affect behavior problems. However, in the case of children in divorced families, only ambivalence over emotional expressiveness affect behavior problems. The above results of this study concluded that the children in divorced families are different from the children in non-divorced families on emotional expressiveness, ambivalence over emotional expressiveness, and behavior problems, and that family members can be protective factors.