Scope

This Research Guide deals with the impact that divorce may have on children, and includes sources which approach the topic from statistical, sociological and economic perspectives. See also: Family guide.

Overview

The Encyclopedia of Marriage, Divorce and the Family
College Library Reference Collection: HQ 9 D38 2000

Encyclopedia of Psychology
College Library Reference Collection: BF 31 E52 2000
Refer to "Divorce" in volume 3, pages 61-64

Encyclopedia of Social Work
College Library Reference Collection: HV 35 S6
Refer to "Child Support" in volume 1, pages 417-424 and "Single Parents" in volume 3, pages 2157-2164

International Encyclopedia of Marriage and Family
College Library Reference Collection: HQ 9 E52 2003
Refer to "Divorce: Effects on Children" in volume 1, pages 475-780

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center 1990 - to date (updated daily)
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC) includes the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources and provides viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Finding Journal and News Articles

Below are links to databases that cover this subject area. The truncation symbol for all of them is an asterisk (*) unless otherwise noted.

Sample searches for databases:

children of divorced parents
children of single parent*
children and divorce and education
divorce and child support

Recommended Databases:

Academic Search 1984 - to date (updated daily)
This library database indexes approximately 3,100 popular magazines and academic journals and provides the full-text articles from approximately 1,000 journals. Basic instructions for Academic Search

CQ Researcher November 1991 - to date (updated weekly)
Contains weekly reports from Congressional Quarterly that cover the most current and controversial issues. Basic instructions for CQ Researcher

GenderWatch 1980 - to date (updated quarterly)
A women's and gender issues database with full-text coverage of most journals. Basic instructions for GenderWatch

Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe Dates Vary (updated daily)
Contains the full-text articles from U.S. and international newspapers (including the New York Times, June 1980 - to date), as well as some news and business magazines and trade journals. The truncation symbol is an exclamation point (!). Basic instructions for Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe

ProQuest Research Library 1988 - to date (updated daily)
Indexes over 2,000 general-interest and academic journals. Nearly 1,000 periodicals are full-text. Dates vary, but many full-text journals go back to 1988. Basic instructions for ProQuest Research Library

Readers' Guide Full Text and Retrospective 1890 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 240 popular magazines in a wide range of subject areas. Full-text coverage of 131 titles begins with 1994. Basic instructions for Readers' Guide Full Text

Social Sciences Full Text 1983 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes more than 415 scholarly journals in economics, politics, public administration, public health, sociology, criminology, environmental and urban studies, psychology and anthropology. Basic instructions for Social Sciences Full Text

Finding Books

MadCat
Books on children and divorce can be found in MadCat, the UW-Madison library catalog.

Sample keyword searches:

"children of divorced parents" and "United States"
"custody of children" and Wisconsin
"single mother?" and children
divorce and http (to find electronic resources)

Internet Sites

About.Com's Divorce Support
http://divorcesupport.about.com/msubmenu.htm
Gateway to sites for divorced parents. Sites include child custody, child support, shared parenting and emotional issues.

Divorce Source: Children and Divorce
http://www.divorcesource.com/info/children/children.shtml
Site includes an overview of what children experience in divorce, effects of divorce on children and support and advice for the recently divorced.

MedlinePlus: Divorce
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/divorce.html
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, Medline provides authoritative information on coping with divorce.

Parenthood in America
http://parenthood.library.wisc.edu
Papers presented at the 1998 UW-Madison "Parenthood in America" conference.

Statistics

Statistical Universe 1973 - to date (updated monthly)
Contains the full text of more than 800 U.S. government statistical publications. Lexis-Nexis Statistical Universe is available to UW-Madison registered users.

Statistical Abstract of the United States
College Library Reference Collection: HA 202 U5

Videos

The Vanishing Father
College Library Main Collection: HQ 777.5 V26 1995

Organizations

Children's Rights Council
http://www.gocrc.com
"CRC works to assure a child the frequent, meaningful and continuing contact with two parents and extended family the child would normally have during a marriage. We work to strengthen families through education, favoring family formation and family preservation."