1. “Going through the big ‘D’ and don’t mean Dallas…..”
Divorce
Chapter 16
Pages

2. Problems with measuring divorce
Media reports that the divorce rate is 50% and higher
This in actuality is NOT true!
Each year about ½ as many as divorces are granted as marriages
Number of divorces and number of marriages within a given year should not be compared. One set of statistics has nothing to do with the other

3. Divorce predictions (cont)
Why does the media say then that the divorce rate is 50%?
Many marriages occurred after WWII and many of the baby boomer’s parents divorced later
Dramatic increase in divorces between
Since peaking around 1985, divorce rates have leveled off and actually declined
Remember though, fewer people are getting married so that affects the divorce rate.

4. Divorce predictions
Of industrialized nations, the United States may have highest divorce rate depending on which source you believe.
European countries (2012)
US has 2.8 per 1,000 people (2012)
Overall in Europe 1.8 per 1,000 people
Things to consider: age at marriage, education level, socio-economic status, number of children

5. Causes/Effects of Divorce
Individual Factors
Age: Married young, more likely to divorce
Minimal years of marriage: The more years married the less likely to divorce
More children, the more likely to divorce
May be due to financial strain
Co-habitation before marriage no longer increases the likely hood of divorce
Recently changed statistic
Higher the education, less likely to divorce
Divorce divide
Respect and flexibility are key factors

6. Causes/Effects of Divorce (cont)
Societal Factors
Divorce rates rise during economic prosperity
Society’s stigma of divorce is not quite as severe today as in past years
Increasing financial independence of women
American values and attitudes about marriage and divorce are changing

7. Children of Divorce
Each year over 1 million children learn their parents are getting a divorce
Many have a hard time accepting the break and become confused and insecure causing other problems
Children of divorced parents have more nightmares, don’t do as well in school, are more anxious and depressed
Studies have found that children whose parents do divorce are better emotionally than those children who constantly live with conflict
High conflict vs low conflict marriages

8. Children of Divorce (cont)
What helps children to adjust to divorce?
Both parents show understanding
Child lives with the parent making a good adjustment to the new situation
Family routines are consistent
The family has adequate money to meet basic needs
The child lives with the same sex parent (debatable study/results)

9. Children of Divorce (cont)
Children of divorce are affected into adulthood
Less contact with either mother and/or father
More likely to divorce themselves

10. Fathering?
Serial Fatherhood: a father maintaining high contact with his own children, establishes a new relationship, starts to father her children and reduces contact with own children.
Only 1/6 of children who live away from their father see him every week
Most divorced fathers stop seeing their children altogether

11. Ex-Spouses
Women are more likely to feel that divorce is giving them a “new chance”
In the past, divorce would usually create difficulty for women
Women’s standard of living drops
Men’s standard of living increases
This is changing!!!!

12. Re-marriage
Creates a new family situation that may or may not be awkward
Today, people are waiting longer to re-marry
For women: 1960=2 years, today=5 years
Most divorced people marry other divorced people
Chance of divorcing again dramatically increases with each additional marriage
3rd marriage: have above a 70% chance of divorcing
Men are more likely to re-marry than women
No adequate norms for re-marriage
Those who bring children into a re-marriage are more likely to divorce again
More studies need to be done on the effects of re-marriage