Divorce Rates in the United States

Divorce

Divorce rates in the United States have increased dramatically over the past 25 years. Researchers have found that more than 40 percent of all marriages among young Americans end in divorce resulting in its acceptance in today’s family structure and behavior (“Demographics”). Divorce has become such a painless process that the moment a couple hits the rocks it is easier and less stressful for them to divorce rather than going through the trouble of trying to work things out. However, even though a couple may be unhappy getting a divorce is not always the best option because of its unfortunate effects on all those involved.

The most common hardship that married couples experience when a divorce takes place is caring for any children involved. One of the hardest things for a child to go through when they are young is divorce. It effects them in so many ways that they do not have control over. Sometimes these children have more difficulty in school, more behavior problems, more negative self-concepts, more problems with peers, and more trouble getting along with their parents. The parental support needed during these times is often lacking, because parents are so wrapped up in their own problems during a divorce that their ability to function as parents diminishes (Wallerstein and Blakeslee 125). All of these issues affect children because of the stress, conflict, and difficulty that a divorce places on a family.

Parent-child interactions may also become difficult because the children of divorced families tend to exhibit more inappropriate behaviors in comparison to those children living in intact homes. A common response to a divorce is built up anger that children may release in different fashions. However, in contrast children may also feel guilty or in some way responsible for the divorce causing them to withdraw or isolate themselves from their family.

Researchers have explained that most children can adapt to a divorce within a couple of years, however it can vary from situation to situation. Whether children fare well depends on their age, past experiences, and how their parents handle the divorce. There are many stresses that are associated with divorce and even though children may do well in single-parent families, their chances of increased social problems are much greater.

Another damaging effect of divorce on children is the fact that they may have to move or one of their parents moves away. This can cause the child to lose valuable ties with friends that may have helped them to cope with the situation. Due to this fact, the child may handle the situation with many different types