National Network for Equitable Library Service

David Petraeus, Tiger Woods, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Edwards, and Bill Clinton: these powerful and famous men were caught having affairs and fell from grace. The media reported their fall and the humiliation and outrage of their spouses, and the nation watched the drama with fascination, feeling sympathy for the betrayed. Conspicuously absent from the media attention was the impact of the infidelity and ensuing publicity on the cheating parents' children. Dennis Ortman, Ph.D., gives a voice to these silent sufferers, the children, the walking wounded, who may appear to function normally for years, but often experience dysfunction when they attempt to commit to intimate relationships as adults. Some feel compelled to betray their partners, and others marry someone who cheats on them or remain emotionally disengaged in their relationships. Without knowing it, many repeat the faults of their parents' marriage, playing out their roles in new tragedies, often exhibiting symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder. Cheating Parents explores the long-term impact of parental infidelity on children's self-esteem and provides pathways toward healing and forgiveness.