Effects of Divorce on Children A child of any age can be hurt by a divorce. Divorce can cause feelings of guilt, sadness, uncertainty, chagrin, and insecurity. The effects of the divorce vary by the age group of the children at the time of the divorce. There are five groups. The parents may feel better and be happier after divorcing but they need to make the child feel secure throughout the entire ordeal. The first group are "infants" (DeBord, 1997). This group cannot grasp the concept of friction but can detect changes in their parents behaviors. The infant may react in a variety of ways. The infan