In addition to the child’s personality modifying their reaction to the divorce, the child’s beliefs prior to the separation can also change the way they respond. When a parental breakup occurs the children are left with a terrifying conclusion: personal relationships are unreliable, and even the closest family relationships cannot be expected to hold firm (Wallerstein and Lewis 359). In Judith Wallerstein and Julia Lewis’ twenty-five-year study on “The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce” in juveniles this terrifying conclusion appeared to be very traumatizing and long-lasting even into adulthood. Because of their conviction that relationships do not last, many of the children’s ideals on conventional marriages and friendships were broken. Two-thirds
