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Divorce
Warm-up:
You have probably known someone who has
gone through a divorce.
What were the positive outcomes of the divorce?
What were the negative outcomes?
Do you think they could have worked it out?
Do you think it would have been better if they did?
Divorce
• More than half of the children born
in 1994 will spend some or all of
their childhood in a single-parent
home (McLanahan 1994).
• Approximately half of all first
marriages will end in divorce
(Census Bureau 1992).
Table A1. Marital Status of People 15 Years and Over, by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin/1, 2008
(Numbers in thousands, except for percentages.)
All Races Married Married
Spouse Spouse Never
Present Absent Widowed Divorced Separated Married
Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent
BOTH SEXES
.Total 15+ 50.5 1.4 6.0 9.8 2.2 30.0
.15-17 years 0.2 0.6 - 0.2 0.7 98.3
.18-19 years 2.1 0.6 - 0.2 0.8 96.3
.20-24 years 13.4 0.9 0.1 1.1 1.3 83.2
.25-29 years 39.5 1.7 0.3 3.8 2.4 52.3
.30-34 years 57.1 2.0 0.4 7.3 3.0 30.3
.35-39 years 64.6 2.0 0.6 10.3 3.0 19.6
.40-44 years 63.6 2.1 1.0 13.6 3.2 16.6
.45-49 years 64.2 1.6 1.6 15.8 3.0 13.7
.50-54 years 65.9 1.3 2.9 16.4 2.8 10.7
.55-64 years 67.5 1.2 5.6 16.4 2.1 7.2
.65-74 years 64.3 1.2 16.8 11.9 1.6 4.3
.75-84 years 49.3 1.2 38.6 6.5 0.8 3.6
.85+ years 26.6 1.8 63.0 4.1 0.3 4.2
.15-17 years 0.2 0.6 0.0 0.2 0.7 98.3
.18+ years 53.5 1.5 6.4 10.4 2.3 25.9
1/ Hispanics may be of any race. .15-64 years 49.8 1.5 1.7 9.9 2.4 34.8
Dash ("-") Represents or rounds to zero.
Note: Prior to 2001, this table included group quarters people. .65+ years 54.6 1.3 29.8 9.1 1.2 4.1
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2008 Annual Social and Economic Supplement
Footnotes:
Internet Release Date: January 2009
Divorce Overview
• Young couples marrying for the first time face
roughly a 40-50% chance of divorce (U.S. Census
Bureau, Current Population Reports, P23-180,
1992, p. 5).
• Many other couples are in stable but chronically
distressed marriages.
• Adults and children are at increased risk for
mental and physical problems due to marital
distress (e.g., Cherlin & Furstenberg, 1994; Coie
et al. 1993; Coyne, Kahn, & Gotlib, 1987; Cowan &
Cowan, 1992; Fincham, Grych, & Osborne, 1993).
Divorce Overview (continued)
• Mismanaged conflict predicts both marital
distress and negative effects for children (e.g.,
Gottman, 1994; Markman & Hahlweg, 1993;
Clements, Stanley, & Markman, 1997; Cowan &
Cowan, 1992; Grych & Fincham, 1990).
• Conflicts at home lead to decreased work
productivity, especially for men (e.g., Forthofer,
Markman, Cox, Stanley, & Kessler, 1996).
• The "triple threat" of marital conflict, divorce, and
out-of-wedlock births has led to a generation of
U.S. children at great risk for poverty, alienation,
and antisocial behavior.
Divorce Overview (continued)
• More than two-thirds of all parental divorces do not involve
highly conflicted marriages.
• In other words, two-thirds of divorces do not happen
because of spousal physical abuse and/or serious conflict;
rather, they happen because spouses grow apart.
• "Unfortunately, these are the very divorces that most likely
to be stressful for children." (Amato and Booth 1997: p.
220)
• The reason?
• Children value the love, support, and attention they
receive from [both of] their parents even if their parents’
marriage isn’t particularly warm.
Numerous factors have been shown to increase
the risk of marital dissolution. Factors shown to
increase risk include, but are not limited to…
•wives' employment and income (Greenstein, 1990),
•neuroticism (Kelly & Conley, 1987),
•premarital cohabitation (Bumpass, Martin, & Sweet, 1991;
Thomson & Colella, 1992),
•difficulties in the areas of leisure activities and sexual
relations (Fowers et al., 1996),
•physiological arousal prior to problem-solving discussions
(Levenson & Gottman, 1985),
•parental divorce (Glenn & Kramer, 1987),
•previous divorce of husbands (Aguirre & Parr, 1982;
Bumpass et al., 1991),
•communication positivity/negativity (Markman, 1981),
•communication withdrawal and invalidation (Markman &
Hahlweg, 1993),
Factors shown to increase risk include, but are
not limited to…
•defensiveness and withdrawal (Gottman & Krokoff, 1989),
•higher ratios of hostility to warmth (Matthews et al.,
1996),
•dissatisfaction with partners' personality and habits
(Fowers et al., 1996),
•difficulties in communication and problem solving (Fowers
et al., 1996)
•religious dissimilarity (Maneker & Rankin, 1993),
•maintaining separate finances (Kurdek, 1993),
•knowing the partner a short time before marriage
(Kurdek, 1993),
•marrying young (Booth & Edwards, 1985; Bumpass et al.,
1991; Martin & Bumpass, 1989),
•being less conscientious (Kurdek, 1993),
Factors shown to increase risk include, but are
not limited to…
•problems relating to friends and family (Kurdek, 1991;
Fowers et al., 1996),
•low or differing levels of education (Bumpass et al.,
1991)…
•…and, having dissimilar attitudes (Kurdek, 1993; Larsen &
Olson, 1989).
(from Clements, Stanley, & Markman, 1997)
Factors Leading to Divorce
• Most factors can be traced to
selfishness.
• It could be selfishness with time,
money, work, caring and
communication.
• Other factors of divorce may be
changing value systems,
physical and emotional abuse,
religious differences or
alcohol/substance abuse.
Dr. Medved lists the major
arguments against divorce
1. Divorce hurts you.
2. Divorce hurts those around you.
3. Single life is not what it is cracked up
to be.
4. Staying married is better for you.
More Personal Problems
Associated With Divorce.
• Divorced people have more illness, more
premature deaths, higher suicide rates and
more accidents than those who are married.
• When we divorce we learn to doubt that any
relationship can be permanent.
• Children fear that they caused the divorce
and they feel rejected and alone.
The “Social Re-adjustment
Rating Scale”
This lists the events most shattering to
one’s equilibrium
The scale shows marital separation and
divorce as the 2nd and 3rd most stressful
situation (after death of a spouse) that
anyone can experience.
Effects of Divorce on the Couple
No one ever escapes from a
divorce unscathed.
Hopes and dreams are replaced with…
1. Feelings of rejection & insecurity
2. Lower self-concept
3. Fear (about the future, $,
relationships, their children, etc….)
Coping With Divorce
Dealing with divorce is similar to coping with a
death.
The following are suggestions to help in coping
with a divorce:
1. Consistent visitation 5. Support of
2. Economic stability family & friends
3. Community resources 6. Family therapy
4. Mediation
What are some simple activities that
families going through a divorce
might do to strengthen each other?
**Be sure that children
understand that the divorce is
NOT their fault.**
Divorce will not have the same effect on
all children.
The consequences vary, depending on:
1. children's ages,
2. family characteristics,
3. level of family conflict,
4. parent-child relationships,
5. socio-economic level,
6. mental well-being of each parent,
7. maternal employment,
8. amount of social support.
• Some divorces bring relief to families while others
leave the family devastated.
Effects of Divorce by Age
Age Theme Symptoms What to do
2-5 Abandonment Sleep Explain custodial
disturbances parent will return.
5-9 Displaced, School Discuss fears,
Grief difficulties Contact with
non-custodial
parent.
9-12 Acting out Spying, fight Patience, love
with parents.
13+ Relationship Independence, Communication,
failure promiscuous encourage
relationships.
Adjusting to Divorce
Parents can help children adjust to divorce
by:
1. decreasing conflict,
2. relationship with parents,
3. economic stability,
4. and consistent visitation.
Some Legal Aspects
of Divorce
A. Alimony
B. Child support
C. Custody
D. Division of assets
The Major Challenges of Single
Parenting Include:
1. Day Care Issues
2. Personal time
3. Economic Stability
