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Cause and Effect of Divorce on Children

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In today’s society divorce is thought of as a quick fix to a bad marriage. Many people turn to divorce instead of trying to work out their problems. While they are not concerned about getting a divorce and the effects it can have on their children, many children end up with psychological problems and behavior issues because of the divorce of their parents. Before finalizing a divorce parents need to assess the situation as a whole and try to work out their problems. By doing this the unnecessary stress it puts on children can be avoided.
Married couples in the United States are more likely to divorce then in the majority of other nations. Of marriages that occurred in 2000, 43 to 46% of the will end in divorce. (Smith, P., Homish, G., Leonard, K., Cornelius, J., p.1) While there are many causes of divorce in today’s society, one the major problems with couples that are married is alcoholism. In a study conducted through the University of Buffalo to determine if women who ended their marriage to a problem drinking partner would decrease their risk for problem drinking, it was determined that with in the first two years of the study 2.2% of women who were with a non-drinking partner had ended their marriage compared to 9.8% of women who ended their marriage that were with a drinking partner. This result leads us to believe that the chance of divorce in relationships with a partner that drinks alcohol is 7.6% more likely to occur.
As a result of the high number divorces in the United States children are ending up with many different behavioral and psychological problems. According to Marlene Moses even in low conflict divorces children can suffer in a myriad of ways. One of the most obvious is the disruption of the child’s life, causing unnecessary stress. Divorce within the family structure can also lead teenagers to substance abuse and make them 50%

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