The Impact of Parental Infidelity on Children's Mental Health

Infidelity that occurs in a couple can not only hurt the couple, but also the children. The sadness of betrayal can not only be felt at the time of the affair but also in the long term. In children, infidelity committed by their parents can also cause trauma. What are the effects of parental infidelity on the child's mentality? Check out the following review.

The Impact of Parental Infidelity on Children's Mental Health

Infidelity that occurs in parents can have different effects on children. Younger children may not understand and realize what is really happening and what their parents are experiencing, but in teenagers or older children, they already understand what is happening and can take action.

However, children can sense that their parents' relationship is likely changing and not going well. This change can also affect the child's mental state.

The influence of parental infidelity on children can be influenced by several factors, including:

• Age of child when he/she finds out about parent's affair
• The attitude of one of the parents, especially the one who is the victim of infidelity
• Does an affair lead to divorce or not?

Some of the effects of parental infidelity on a child's mental health include:

The child feels ashamed

Although children do not fully understand the affair experienced by their parents, children can feel ashamed because their parents are having an affair, especially if they fight or do not get along. Children can feel ashamed because their family is no longer intact. Gradually, this can make children feel ashamed and insecure so that they withdraw from their social environment which actually makes them lose more support.

Triggering depression

The bitter atmosphere due to the affair experienced by parents can trigger depression in children. Moreover, if parents ask their children to keep the affair a secret from their parents and family. This can add to the burden on children and trigger depression.

Creates emotional distance

One of the effects of parental infidelity on a child's mental condition is that the child will feel neglected, causing an emotional distance. Parents may not realize this and their love for their children remains the same, but children may feel that the infidelity committed by their parents means that their parents no longer love them, causing an emotional distance between parents and children.

Triggering trauma

Children who are victims of parental infidelity tend to lose trust in their parents and can cause trauma in the future. They can grow up to be someone who has trauma and distrust in a marriage relationship. This can certainly disrupt the child's social relationships in the future.

At risk of becoming an adulterer

Children who are victims of infidelity can also grow up to be perpetrators of infidelity. A study revealed that children whose parents have affairs tend to grow up to be people who also commit infidelity. They tend not to easily believe in a commitment, trivialize marriage and have difficulty trusting their partners so that in the end they are vulnerable to infidelity.

The effects of infidelity are not only felt by the cheated on partner but also for the child's mentality, both in the present and the future. If children who are victims of parental infidelity show signs of changes in attitude or mental disorders, they should immediately consult a doctor or psychologist.