The Adverse Effects of Divorce and how they have Changed the Family Structure By Michael McGuire Introduction

The concept of divorce is one that has become increasingly pertinent to todays society. People are bombarded by statistics about its rise and facts about the decreasing stability of the nuclear family. Rates of divorce have increased so greatly over the past few decades that people have come to fear the institution of marriage. About one-half of newly wed couples today are likely to end in separation (Amato 2000). That is fifty percent. That is the toss of a coin. With a statistic such as this, and many others similar to it, there is no wonder that many children and young adults are far more hesitant to make the bond than in years before. Divorce has become a looming shadow that seems to be spreading farther and farther across the United States. Causes of divorce and how it has evolved over the past three decade are issues that must be addressed in order to understand this problem. I have researched numerous articles in order to better understand the changing states of divorce and answer questions regarding the growing rates of separation. There have been many studies performed to further knowledge regarding these issues. It is an interesting topic especially from a sociological standpoint because it has no clear cause. It transcends race, gender, or level of education. While being surrounded with marital separation, our society is left to ask many questions. What are some factors that lead to divorce? What consequences or negative effects on adults and children are created by this societal breakdown? What changes is divorce causing in the family structure of society? How have divorce and marriage rates changed over past 30 years? The dissolution of marriage is without a doubt a problem for todays society. It is probably one of the biggest problems. Children of divorce are often left with scars that do not heal. Often children from divorced families have a more difficult time establishing intimate relationships. The stress has even been shown to cause difficulty in performing school work for kids. These groups of children will form the future families of U.S. culture, and their trust in the age-old union between a man and a woman has changed in the past years to the point where divorce has become a commonplace element of society. Recognizing the changing rates of marriage and divorce are necessary in analyzing todays family structure. One cannot deny that these divorce rates show a relevant problem that must be researched in order to understand elements of family life today. Research Findings Many researchers of divorce link separation to different levels of stress. These perspectives state that family dysfunctions are extremely stressful on children and adults (Amato 2000). The varying levels of family stress stem from numerous sources. Strain from a lack of communication is often a key factor, as well as the overall stress created by raising children in a household where both parents are employed fulltime. Most sociological studies on divorce highlight the strain and stress placed on parents and children involved in any annulment.

One of these is the Divorce-Stress-Adjustment theory. This viewpoint states that divorce is not simply an occasion; it is a progression of trying events that have been shown to cause deconstructive emotional consequences to those involved (Amato 2000). Repetition of these events through ongoing disputes between couples is even more detrimental. The process begins with the partners emerging unhappiness about their marriage. Often one spouse is more or less the initiator of the separation. Most of the time this partner wants to divorce more than the other (Emery 1994). When the thought of divorce originates, the process begins. The spouse that initially desires a divorce may feel the emotional strain first (Amato 2000). He or she will begin to feel sadness over the idea that his or her marriage is not as emotionally satisfying as it was intended to be. This spouse must first deal with the strain, while his or her partner might not even be aware that a divorce is being considered. Stress and overall frustration builds and the separation process will continue if the couple cannot repair the damage done to their relationship. If the progression to divorce does continue to the point where separation is unavoidably close at hand, the initiator of the divorce will most likely feel relieved when the process has finally ended. However, the spouse that opposed the divorce may not fully accept the reality of the annulment until it is finished and is legally complete. This spouse is much more likely to grieve over the divorce after it has concluded. Numerous studies show that there are lasting psychological effects for adults from divorce. They have been shown to be unhappy and have lower levels of self concept (Aseltine & Kessler 1993). Aside from emotional damage, adult victims of divorce have been shown to potentially have more health complications than individuals involved in lasting marriages (Amato 2000). Some research shows that women are usually more devastated after divorce than men (Aseltine & Kessler 1993). However other studies show that men find it harder to cope with a separation than women. Still other research states that gender does not play a role in calculating levels of postmarital emotional stress. With results from each end of the spectrum, these studies do not prove that one sex suffers more emotionally following a divorce (Amato 2000). In either case, both partners are likely to suffer from lower levels of overall well-being. Perhaps more resounding than the effects on adults are the poor impressions of life that children of divorce are left with. Nearly 40% of all children will be forced to face a dissolved marriage sometime before they reach adulthood (Amato 2000). On top of that, more than one million kids will go through a divorce every year (U.S. Bureau of the Census 1998). Negative psychological effects are almost unavoidable for children from failed marriages. Much, if not most, of the psychological damage caused by a divorce is directed toward the children that are wedged in the middle of the dispute. They are relatively powerless to intervene in their parents affairs to stop the dissolution of marriage. More than half of all divorces occur in families with children under 18 years old (Amato 2000). Many young children at these ages do not have the level of maturity needed to fully understand the circumstances of a divorce. They believe they are at fault and develop varying levels of depression. In any case, each divorced adult then reenters the single lifestyle with children that are being pulled along and made powerless. Once a divorce is complete, each adults view of marriage is changed forever. They will no longer view it is an ever-stable body that encompasses love and happiness. At one point each partner had faith that matrimony was an enduring force that would last a lifetime. After a divorce, however, he or she will view relationships differently and seek them out in a new way (Amato 2002). The view of these adults is most likely to be that marriage is non-permanent and that

working out marital problems in order to stay together is less important than before the initial divorce occurred. No matter how they value marriage, divorced adults will likely be inclined to marry again. In fact, couples from almost half of all existing marriages will eventually become involved in another marriage (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1998, Table 157). High rates of remarriage among divorced couples do nothing to help deplete divorce rates because each marriage after the first is more likely to end in divorce than the original bond (McLean 1999). Divorce and remarriage puts heavy strain on children. Not only is it difficult to suffer through the divorce of a childs biological parents, but accepting a stepfather or stepmother can be extremely trying for a child. One out of seven children lives in a household with some sort of stepparent (Cherlin 1992). Possibly an even more important situation caused by divorce is the large number of children that reside with only one parent. In fact, one half of all kids will live in a single-parent setting at some point in their lives (Castro and Bumpass 1989). The ongoing mixture of family situations only increases a childs anxiety. He or she will continue to receive mixed messages about the functionality of marital relationships. When a child experiences the separation of his or her parents, he or she loses faith in the institution of marriage which greatly changes their views and expectations of family life. They may grow to fear intimacy and/or close relationships with friends as well as those of the opposite sex. This lack of trust in the marriage bond has been shown in marriage rates since the 1970s. In 1973, children of divorced families who were 20 years old and over had about the same rate of marriage as those children from stable families (Lach 1999). However, the same study was performed in 1994 and yielded different results. It showed that children 20 years old and over from separated families were 26% less likely to wed than children of the same age from secure two-parent households (Lach 1999). Many researchers credit this drop in the rate of marriage to increased levels of cohabitation between non-married couples. Children from divorced families are much more likely to cohabitate with the person they are involved with. However, they are much less likely to marry the person with whom they cohabitate (Lach 1999). Decreased rates of marriage and increased rates of cohabitation, especially among kids from divorced families, show that divorce creates a lack of faith in the institution of marriage. Even children from stable families may grow to fear marriage simply because of high divorce rates and the likelihood of separation in todays society. The possibility of eventual turmoil when entering a marriage may be so overwhelming that many young adults today would just rather cohabitate and not bother with matrimony. Summary of Results Studies conclude that divorce is caused most often by patterns of damaging incidents. Some common issues are often the initiators of these incidents. Married couples often argue over money, which stems from uneasiness about the future of their family. Poor communication, infidelity, and general incompatibility are all issues that create strain in a marriage (Amato and Rogers 1997). The tension and stress on each partner is most often the main disruptor in the relationship. High levels of stress in partners that do not communicate well are common in todays society. The fast-paced task of raising a family is not without its strain. These factors, as well as others, contribute heavily to rising divorce rates over the past several decades.

Increases in divorce rates and reduction of marriage rates are due to changing attitudes about the functionality of marriage. As divorce becomes more and more commonplace, people lose their sense of trust in the formation of marriage. Large drops in the rates of marriage are a result of the changing attitudes that are sweeping youth of the U.S. In response to the decreasing faith in marriage, many people have chosen to cohabitate prior to marriage and often times not join in marriage at all. This is especially true when one or both of the people involved do not come from a nuclear family. Continuingly dropping marriage rates are starting trends of cohabitation that may continue to spread. Changes in the family structure such as this are greatly changing the way children are raised. It is no longer uncommon for a child to be raised in either a single-parent household or one with a parent and a stepparent. In fact these types of families have become very widespread. Growing up in households run by different authoritative systems can cause trauma in a child. However children are not the only ones susceptible to emotional strain. There are definite negative emotional effects created as a consequence of divorce. Adults may grieve over the dissolution of their marriage and will likely show signs of psychological damage. They may become depressed and suffer from low levels of self-esteem and self-concept. Along with decreased levels of contentment, separated individuals are more vulnerable to health risks. Adults and children will experience some decrease in their general sense of well-being. Possible Solutions Finding a solution to the problem of divorce is not easy by any means. It has been progressing for so long now that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to sway the views of the entire nation and instill in them that marriage is meant to be a lifelong partnership. In fact, the biggest negative effect of divorce is how regularly it involves young children. The divorce of a family often occurs when a child is young and very impressionable. They are in a time when they look to their parents to teach them about relationships with the opposite sex and how to make lasting bonds. Instead of being taught the value of a having a stable marriage, many are raised surrounded by unhappy parents and unsteady family conditions. The trauma created by this is likely to follow them their whole lives and affect their views on future relationships. Children grow to fear marriage, and todays children will be tomorrows adults. If the U.S. does not find ways to lessen the effects of divorce it will have a nation of adults raised without trust in matrimony. The trend is likely to go on and on if a solution is not found. Some possible answers to this problem lie in education and learning. One possibility is to extend research into marriage counseling. Increasing levels of training for marriage counselors will give parents someone with education and insight into family relationships to assist them in times of disagreement. Constructing the field of marriage analysis into a more prestigious role will more than likely increase the number of marriage counselors throughout the U.S. An increase in the number of therapists will improve the availability of help for troubled families. Discussing their problems in a comfortable, productive setting will do wonders for a family on the verge of separation. Highly educated and insightful individuals and easy availability of these experts are needed in the field of family therapy. Another possible solution would be to have the U.S. government set up more marriage/family oriented classes in high schools and colleges around the U.S. The research regarding divorce must

be shown to young adults in order for them to understand what the bond of marriage is supposed to mean. People should be more educated about the lasting effects that divorce can have on them as well as any potential children that might come out of a marriage. Without this knowledge, young adults may not comprehend the full responsibility of matrimony. Education is necessary to deal with this problem. People must learn how to communicate with their spouses and compromise when it is needed. Men and women need to be careful when mate selection is considered to ensure that they will have full compatibility with each other. When a couple marries, they must learn to be tolerant of each others behavior and learn how to express themselves productively to ease the stress caused by raising a family. Further research into family life and marital relationships is needed, and people must be made aware of this information in order to reinstate the importance of the stable, nuclear family.

Bibliography

Amato, Paul R. 2000. The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children. Journal of Marriage and Family 62:1269-1288.
--This article was very helpful in determining the emotional effects of adults and children in divorce. It also provided many useful statistics.

Amato, Paul R., & Rogers, Stacy J. 1997. A longitudinal study of marital problems and subsequent divorce. Journal of Marriage and Family 59:612-625.
--This article helped determine some common factors that cause divorce.

Aseltine, Robert H., & Kessler, R.C. 1993. Marital disruption and depression in a community sample. Journal of Health and Social Behavior 34:237-251.
--This article highlighted several issues that arise in marriage that have shown to cause divorce.

Castro, M.T., & Bumpass, L.L. 1989. Recent trends in marital disruption. Demography 26:37-51.
--This article helped back up certain statistics .

Cherlin, Andrew J. 1992. Marriage, divorce, remarriage. Cambridge, MA: Hardvard University Press.
--This book gave information about stepparent families as well as single parent households .

Emery, R.E. 1994. Renegotiating family relationships: Divorce, child custody, and mediation. New York: Guilford Press.
--This book gave information about each couples separate situations when going through a divorce.

Lach, Jennifer 1999. The Consequences of Divorce. American Demographics 21:14.

--This article helped determine rates of marriage for children from divorced families since the 1970s.

McLean, Candis 1999. Bad newsdivorce is declining. Alberta Report/Newsmagazine 26:35.

--This article gave information about cohabitation and declining marriage rates.