Divorce The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Divorce Rates in the U.S. 50% Canada 48% Canada 48% Japan 27% Japan 27% UK 13.9% UK 13.9% Australia 40% Australia 40% India 10% India 10% Singapore 10% Singapore 10%

Divorce Rates in the United States 41% of first marriages end in divorce 41% of first marriages end in divorce 60% of second marriages 60% of second marriages 73% of third marriages 73% of third marriages Divorce- A legal end to a marriage and the parties involved are allowed to marry other people. Divorce- A legal end to a marriage and the parties involved are allowed to marry other people.

Reasons People Divorce Financial Issues Financial Issues Incompatibility of personality Incompatibility of personality Communication problems Communication problems Abuse Abuse Drugs or Alcoholism Drugs or Alcoholism Authoritarianism Authoritarianism Selfishness Selfishness Differing Values Differing Values

Grounds for Divorce Infidelity. Infidelity. Desertion for more than one year or separation for more than three years. Desertion for more than one year or separation for more than three years. Failure to provide the necessities of life. Failure to provide the necessities of life. Addictions. Addictions. Conviction of a felony. Conviction of a felony. Mental or physical cruelty. Mental or physical cruelty. Permanent incurable insanity (unfit to parent). Permanent incurable insanity (unfit to parent).

Top reasons Poor communication Poor communication Infidelity Infidelity Loss of attraction/personality differences Loss of attraction/personality differences Finances Finances Abuse Abuse Selfishness Selfishness

Effects of Divorce on Age of Children Preschoolers(3-5 yrs): Fear of abandonment, sleep disturbances, at fault for the divorce. Preschoolers(3-5 yrs): Fear of abandonment, sleep disturbances, at fault for the divorce. Young Childhood (6-8 yrs): Grief, school difficulties, fear for well being of absent parent. Young Childhood (6-8 yrs): Grief, school difficulties, fear for well being of absent parent. Older Children (9-12 yrs). Acting out, fight with parent, spying for the other parent. Older Children (9-12 yrs). Acting out, fight with parent, spying for the other parent. Adolescent (13- 19): Fear of own relationship failure, independence, promiscuous-type behavior could increase. Adolescent (13- 19): Fear of own relationship failure, independence, promiscuous-type behavior could increase.

Impact on Children Self-Concept? Self-Concept? School Performance? School Performance? Frequently have lower academic achievement and are two times more likely to drop out. Frequently have lower academic achievement and are two times more likely to drop out. Peer Relationships? Peer Relationships? Typically less social Typically less social Higher risk of displaying delinquent acts. Higher risk of displaying delinquent acts. Dating-Marriage? Dating-Marriage? Many children with divorced parents will see divorce as a solution to their own marital problems. Many children with divorced parents will see divorce as a solution to their own marital problems.

Children and Divorce Who deals better? Younger or older? Boy or girl? Who deals better? Younger or older? Boy or girl? Do children feel anger, guilt, blame? Do children feel anger, guilt, blame? Are there things parents should not discuss about the divorce with their children? Are there things parents should not discuss about the divorce with their children? It depends on the amount of social support, level of family conflict, child’s age, and maternal employment. It depends on the amount of social support, level of family conflict, child’s age, and maternal employment.

Child Coping Techniques Acknowledge parental separation. Acknowledge parental separation. Disengage from parents conflict. Disengage from parents conflict. Resolution to loss of familiar parental relationships and routines. Resolution to loss of familiar parental relationships and routines. Resolution of anger and self-blame. Resolution of anger and self-blame. Accepting finality of divorce. Accepting finality of divorce. Achieving realistic expectations for later relationship success. Achieving realistic expectations for later relationship success.

The good, the bad, and the ugly Good- I f abuse or any other destructive issue that directly affects the health of the entire family persists. Good- I f abuse or any other destructive issue that directly affects the health of the entire family persists. Bad- If the couple gives up easily, whereas a little effort could have made for a great relationship and marriage. Bad- If the couple gives up easily, whereas a little effort could have made for a great relationship and marriage. Ugly- If a couple continues to put each other down to others, put their children in the middle to ‘spy’, if argument and harassment continues after the marriage ends. Ugly- If a couple continues to put each other down to others, put their children in the middle to ‘spy’, if argument and harassment continues after the marriage ends.

Assignment Your assignment over the next two days will be to create a Public Service Announcement about either Divorce OR marriage. This will be worth 30 points. Your P.S.A can be either a brochure, a poster, or something unique like a rap. It must be informative and you must research more information than you have learned in this lesson. It must be neat, organized, and creative. Use the computer or your art skills.

What is a public service announcement? Typically short and to the point. Typically short and to the point. Who is your target audience? Consider them. Who is your target audience? Consider them. What is the main message you want to get across? What is the main message you want to get across? To build awareness/educate people about an issue or idea. To build awareness/educate people about an issue or idea. (This will be a combination of a P.S.A. and an advertisement) Divorce How to appropriately parent after a divorce. How to support your children through the process. How can children cope? How does divorce affect a child? How to lower the risk of getting divorced. Any other information you want to include.

Marriage Why is marriage important? Why is marriage important? How to build a strong marriage? How to build a strong marriage? What are the positive affects of marriage on children. What are the positive affects of marriage on children. What are realistic expectations of marriage? What are realistic expectations of marriage?