Divorce
The Good, The Bad, and
The Ugly
Divorce Rates in the U.S. 50%
Canada 48%
Japan 27%
UK 13.9%
Australia 40%
India 10%
Singapore 10%
Divorce Rates in the United States
41% of first marriages end in divorce
60% of second marriages
73% of third marriages
Alabama’s divorce rate is one third higher
than the U.S. average. It is the sixth
highest in the nation.
Reasons People Divorce
Financial Issues
Incompatibility of personality
Communication problems
Abuse
Drugs or Alcoholism
Authoritarianism
Selfishness
Differing Values
Grounds for Divorce
Impotency.
Adultery.
Desertion for more than one year or separation
for more than three years.
Failure to provide the necessities of life.
Habitually drunk.
Conviction of a felony.
Mental or physical cruelty.
Permanent incurable insanity.
Effects of Divorce on Age of
Children
Preschoolers: Fear of abandonment, sleep
disturbances.
Young Childhood: Fear of being displaced, grief,
school difficulties, fear for well being of absent
parent.
Older Children: Acting out, fight with parent,
spying for the other parent.
Adolescent: Fear of own relationship failure,
independence, promiscuous-type behavior could
increase.
Children and Divorce
Who deals better? Younger or older? Boy
or girl?
Do children feel anger, guilt, blame?
Are there things parents should not
discuss about the divorce with their
children?
Impact on Children
Self-Concept?
School Performance?
Peer Relationships?
Dating-Marriage?
Six Tasks for Children
Acknowledge parental separation.
Disengage from parents conflict.
Resolution to loss of familiar parental
relationships and routines.
Resolution of anger and self-blame.
Accepting finality of divorce.
Achieving realistic expectations for later
relationship success.
End