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Marriage and Family: Divorce

Divorce is a life-transforming experience for all parties involved. Long-time researcher-author Judith Wallerstein reported many of the children in her longitudinal study on divorce weren’t aware their parents were having serious problems; their parents' divorce marked the end of their childhood. Wallerstein says a family break-up is so detrimental to kids because "children identify not only with their mother and father as separate individuals, but with the relationship between them." From the child’s perspective, mother and father are a naturally inseparable unit.

Compared to children from intact homes, children of divorce are far more likely to struggle academically, engage in drug and alcohol use and other high-risk behaviors, commit suicide, experience psychiatric problems, live in poverty, and have a greater likelihood to divorce themselves. Thirty years of research conclusively shows its harm to children in virtually every measure. Studies support marital longevity as a vital component of good health for children and adults alike.
 

Features

Do Half of All American Marriages Really End in Divorce?

Actually, marriages formed today have about a 41 to 43 percent chance of ending in divorce.

The Role Faith Plays in Marriage and the Likelihood of Divorce

Evangelicals who attend church regularly divorce at a rate 35 percent lower than secular couples.

What No-Fault Divorce Can Teach Us About Same-Sex Marriage

What did no-fault divorce contribute to and what can it teach us about the same-sex marriage experiment?

Divorce Still Hurts

Social researchers Judith Wallerstein and Mavis Hetherington come to distinct conclusions about the impact divorce has on children and their parents.

Exploring the Issue



Note: Some of these resources refer to sites not produced by FOF. These are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement.

The Top Ten Myths of Divorce

The National Marriage Project

Fact Sheet on Divorce in America

Smartmarriages.com

Should I Get a Divorce?

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