Divorce Rates In The United States

There is a staggeringly large amount of divorces in the United States (US). In total, the US had a recorded total of 2,140,272 marriages in the year 2014 alone, and of those marriages, 813,862 ended up in divorce or annulment (Center for Disease Control). This means that as recently as 2014, there was a divorce rate of approximately 40%. This supports the statistics that the divorce rate for the US has stayed within 40-50% since the 1970’s (Austin Institute, 2014). While the numbers themselves are important, it is also important that the causes for the high divorce rate be explored, so that it can be known what pitfalls to avoid when participating in such an important union as marriage. There are many causes of divorce in the US such as conflicting gender roles, socioeconomic status, religious conflicts, physical abuse, emotional abuse, alcohol addictions, and many more (Amato & Previti, 2003). This paper will look at many of these reasons, but it will also focus on the differing reasons reported by men and women.

Divorce is a very common word in today's society. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, "divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage or a complete or radical severance of closely connected things"(Pickett, 2000). This dissolution of marriage has increased very rapidly in the past fifty years. In 1950 the ratio of divorce to marriage was one in every four; in 1977 that statistic became one in two. Currently one in every two first marriages results in divorce. In second marriages that figure is considerably higher, with a 67% average (National Vital Statistics Report, 2001). One critical aspect of divorce is often not taken into consideration: How it affects children. Every year 1.1 million children are affected by divorce

Divorce is not just a tough situation for the couples getting the divorce; it also has a large effect on any children involved in the divorce. When children are involved in a divorce, the first major impact they have to face is that child or children involved in the divorce losses time with each of the parents. In a non-divorced family on

Divorce causes many problems for children and has many implications. Psychological implications include mental health problems and behavioral problems. Social roles are turned inside out and upside down. Children are often pulled in many directions. In the United States divorce is very common and often leaves children confused and without options. Many turn toward violence, crime, drugs, and isolation. Studies show how adults can reduce the tension for these children. Other

“Marriages that end in divorce typically begin a process of unraveling, estrangement, or an emotional separation year before the actual legal divorce is obtained.” (Demo, Supple) Divorce might seem easy, but actually this process has various effects on the couple, and in the child [if present]. During the process there is usually a lot of fighting, and the children

A few short term adjustments are children often feel guilty or responsible for the divorce, they tend to become uncooperative by lashing out at one or both parents and others are them, often they are emotionally needy out of fear that they will be abandoned, depression can occur, feelings of resentment toward one or both parents for deciding to split up, and children often lose concentrate which typically always affects their school work and academic performance. Also, they have this intense feeling of loss and in some cases they maybe begin to wet the bed (younger children ages 0-7). Most of these short-term effects can be corrected behavior by parents supporting one another and helping to create a healthy environment for their child to express

Divorce can be problematic for children because the life they are accustomed to is suddenly disrupted. Custody battles,

It is also interesting to note, that the symptoms and feelings described above tend to be present regardless of how the parents handle the divorce. Research has shown that even when a divorce is friendly, children still experience the same things and respond in the same ways (Rappaport, 2013). These initial symptoms and reactions however, do tend to fade over time, as children adjust to their new lives (Rappaport, 2013).

Usually in this scenario a kid is upset at first but seems to be resilient and uses their strength to get through the divorce and stays normal and strong. This is the uncommon situation beyond most kids that have gone through this pain between their parents but it does occur.

The Effects Of Divorce On Children begin long before parents physical separate, Theses effects are primarily the result of family dysfunction and economic stress. The typical youngsters feel torn in two after a divorce, particularly in case of joint custody where they must physically bounce back and forth between two house its hello, goodbye, hello, goodbye all the time says jill krementz (Zinsmeister 3). The children have to go through many changes when their parents get a divorce their feelings really be hurt. The Effects Of Divorce On Children changes their grades suffer, have behavior problems, and family issues.

Adult-children of divorce can hold on to many issues due to the divorce their parents made them suffer from as a child. A relatively small percentage of children suffer serious trauma due to a rough divorce. Furthermore, a messy divorce containing disagreement and negligence will have worse, long-lasting results. This means selfishness and a lot of greed coming from the parents. This in some cases would require the child to have to move and start their lives over; which is something that is almost always unwanted. The effects will differ depending on whether or not both parents remain present in the child’s life after they have separated. In a situation like this, majority of the time a move is required. If the child is required to move away, then it will mean they have to completely restart their life; meaning new friends, school

Divorce can have a lasting impact on children. For starters the holiday season can get tough. Some children switch place to place for certain holidays while others may have the conflict of celebrations on the same day. Having those conflicts can cause distress. Holidays are also a time where children remember the happier time when the family was one. Divorce can also cause emotional issues. Trust is one of those emotional issues that children are faced with. Their trust issue can result in not able to have a close relationship with another. Trust issues can also lead into social issues with children of divorce. The impact of divorce can cause children to go place to place not being able to have time of their own. However some children of

Divorce has become a major part of our society and affects many people every year. In some instances of divorce, families have been torn apart leaving children stuck in the middle of conflict. This is where children start lashing out at their parents and everyone around them and it is because they are hurt and out of their comfort zone. One cannot forget about the children that divorce affects in a negative way. However, this is not always the case. There are children of divorce that get through it relatively calmly. However, one must keep in mind that divorce is not always the answer. If there is a marriage that has only minor and easily remedied issues then they should try to reach a compromise. Married couples facing

Emotional, behavioral and Academic challenges are prevalent in children of all ages but can emerge differently depending on age as well as gender. Anger is the most common emotional impact on children of divorce. Studies show this is especially true in school age and adolescent boys. It can

For couples that have children, there are negative consequences that directly impact their children and their success. Children tend to have feelings of anger, sadness, and anxiety while exhibiting behaviors such as changes in school performance, peer relationships, restlessness, and moodiness. In rare cases, some children have reacted with extreme behaviors such as substance abuse and suicide (Lebowitz 697). Children process events in their lives differently than the way adults process those same events. A child may feel angry when they find out that their parents are divorcing and they are unsure of what that will mean for their lives. The child likely has concerns over whether or not they will have to attend a new school, move to a new home, or experience changes in their parent’s financial resources (Lebowitz 697). Sadness is another normal felling that a child of divorce experiences. A child feels the loss of a parent as they have to have primary residence with one parent and hopefully secondary residence with the other parent. Sometimes, during the process of divorce a child loses contact with one parent all together. Anxiety is another feeling that is common for children to feel as their parents get divorced. Their anxiety is usually due to worrying about themselves, their parents, and their siblings (Lebowitz 697). Many of