Premium Essay

Causes Of Divorce In The United States

Submitted By
Words 592
Pages 3
As defined in the dictionary, a divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage by a court or other competent body . When a couple divorce, it is because they are having problems on their marriage and it is not a healthy relationship anymore. There are many causes for spouses to have problems such as economic issues, infidelity, arguing, violence, etc. Divorce can have different emotional and psychological effects on adults and children. The United States is the country with the highest rate of divorce in the world.
Rate of Divorce in the United States
Research indicates that United States is the country with the highest rate of divorce been over 50%. In addition, around 67% of second marriages get divorce as well. Not only divorce is prevalent in USA, but also it is prevalent on woman. Women are more likely to initiate a divorce than man is, and if they have kids, women are more likely to have their custody. It has also been demonstrated that the overall divorce rate is declining, even when the percentage of middle adulthood divorce is increasing. The following graph demonstrates this tendency. Effects of Divorce on Adults …show more content…
For females, the economic situation might get a little complicated. For man, the emotional and psychological impact might be greater. More than 50% of people that are poor are divorced women with their children, and most of this is because more than 50% o woman do not receive child support. Women are more likely to look for help, either with social support systems or with friends, contrary to men who isolate themselves from social life. It is also important to highlight that even when it takes more time for men to adjust emotionally, they generally remarry faster than women

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Divorce Today

...Sanders       Divorce Today   In today’s society, divorce is more the norm than ever before. Forty percent of all marriages end in divorce. Divorce defined by Webster is the action or an instance of legally dissolving a marriage . Divorce itself is both a cause and an effect. Some of the causes of divorce include the lack of money, sexual indiscretion and the ease of getting a divorce. These are some of the most common causes of divorce. Further, the effects of a divorce seem insurmountable when comparing the grief it causes on both parties. Many people cite money as a cause of divorce. In fact, the statistics of a survey conducted by Citibank on divorce in the United States suggested that more than fifty percent of divorced couples cited money problems as the cause of their divorce. I believe that money has a role in society and in marriage. However, the lack of money does cause discord between a married couple. This can be referred to as financial incompatibility, which is based on the views that each partner has of the partnership of marriage from a financial viewpoint. He/she should also think about the effects of divorce on their financial situation. Also, they should know that divorce does not solve financial problems. Instead, the divorce must be paid for and the divorced couple must now set up two households instead of one. This is a classic example of why divorce is not necessary and sex indiscretion is. Sexually indiscretion is the second leading cause of divorce. Sexually...

Words: 557 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Divorce in America: What's Love Got to Do with It

...Although people tend to think carefully before they get married the rate of divorce continuously rises nowadays. There are a wide variety of reasons why people get divorced and I will highlight a few of these in this paper. Divorce in America: What’s love got to do with it? INTRODUCTION Divorce is any formal separation according to established custom, or a total disunion. There seems to be a growing trend in society today that when the going gets tough, get divorced. In order to see the effects of divorce in the United States, we have to take a closer look at what causes couples to make the decision to end their union and file for divorce. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 2,096,000 marriages in the US in 2010 and of those marriages 3.6% per 1,000 population ended in divorce (FASTSTATS, 2013). Those numbers sound scary to many couples considering marriage or who have just tied the knot; however, it is important to realize random forces don’t simply cause nearly half of all marriages to fail. Rather, couples divorce for very specific and common reasons, and not always the reasons you might think. Below are 8 of the most common reasons for divorce as listed by Octane.com (Cobus, 2012). Proper financial planning and management is essential to the success of a marriage. Arguments over money and how to manage it is the leading cause in divorce in the United States (Cobus, 2012). It is easy to overlook the financial aspect of marriage when...

Words: 2180 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Divorce

...Social Welfare HUS  Final paper 4/13/16  Divorce                                           In today’s modern world, there are many aspects of our everyday lifestyle  that used to be  frowned upon years ago, but have slowly became the norm of today’s culture. One of these  aspects is divorce. ​ “The divorced population has more than quadrupled from 1970 to 1996,  growing from 3 percent to nearly 10 percent of adults in 25 years”(Credo Reference 2006).  Within the United States, divorce has become a common process for many married couples.  Overall, divorce is a concept that is more on the lines of a personal issue that just happens to be  socially accepted in the modern lifestyle. There are many causes for the increase in divorce rates  over the years, specifically around the 1970s and onward. These causes include: stigma, respect,  the no­fault law, cultural and societal expectations, and whether or not divorce is social class  issue or not. In my own opinion, I think divorce has become a significant issue and is harmful to  families, especially with children. Yes, there are times when divorce is understandable and  recommended to better the family, but either way it is so detrimental to the children. This topic is  very significant for children and families. It is important for people to recognize the issue  because it can tear families apart, and it is unbelievably today. Divorce also can cause further  physical and mental issues as well...

Words: 1878 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Cause and Effect of Divorce on Children

...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...

Words: 653 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Divorce

...Divorce is a very common word in today's society. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage or a complete or radical severance of closely connected things (Gottman, J. 1994).). This dissolution of marriage has increased very rapidly in the past fifty years. Throughout this paper I will discuss divorces effects on children. The dissolution of a marriage is a legal act that may not coincide with the emotional tearing asunder. Divorce is typically a painful process for all concerned. While it can take adults time to regain psychological equilibrium, there is debate whether children ever recover a stable perspective. Post-divorce hostility between adults, in addition to directly harming kids, is a sure indicator that the emotional split is incomplete. In the U.S., divorce rates have been rising since the beginning of the 20th century, and especially since the 1970s, when no-fault divorce was instituted. Some experts contend that the easing of divorce laws has helped make marriage stronger by rooting it more deeply in personal choice, although it does little to give people the skills needed to work out the inevitable difficulties that arise in marriage. Divorce is a big scary word for many. To some, it is a word that represents failure and a reason for them to raise the white flag in defeat. Trials and tribulations seemed to take their toll and cause reason for a significant change in lifestyle, routines, and marital status. To...

Words: 1140 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Is Divorce a Good or a Bad Thing?

...Is Divorce A Good Or Bad Thing? Introduction Divorce is defined as a marriage ending before any of the spouses die. According to dictionary.com, “divorce is a judicial declaration dissolving a marriage in whole or in part, especially one that releases the husband and wife from all matrimonial obligations.” Some countries in which divorce has become commonplace are the United States and South Africa. Divorce is not considered as big a deal today as it has been in the past. There has been an increase in divorce. Some people believe that the age of a child is an important factor in determining the impact divorce may have on a child (Beekman, 1986). Some also believe that, gender has an impact on the reaction to divorce on both children and parents (Whitton, Rhoades, Stanley, & Markman, 2008). Others believe that the impact divorce may have on parents is when they have less personal relationship commitment to their own marriage and are less confident in their own ability to maintain a happy marriage (Whitton, Rhoades, Stanley, & Markman, 2008). People may also believe that the communities that surround the family unit may be the cause of divorce (Wolfinger, 2005). One of the positive reasons for divorce is that women are becoming dependent and working in many different workforces (Jennifer, 2010). The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of divorce. In order to do this, the paper is divided in two sections. The first section will examine the...

Words: 2880 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Process Essay

...n today's society, divorce is more the norm than ever before. There are as many causes for divorce as there are people who divorce. Divorce itself is both a cause and an effect. There are many factors that contribute to divorce, such as lack of money, drug and/or alcohol abuse, immaturity of one or both parties, sexual indiscretion, the ease of getting a divorce, and various others. Divorce is the effect of a marriage that is faced with difficulties that seem insurmountable, an inability to get along, one or both partner's growing apart, substance abuse, a culture that condones divorce, legal ease of getting a divorce, the inexpensiveness of getting a divorce and other factors. Commitments do not last. A couple stays married until times get hard or another person is found more attractive, or any number of other reasons. The bottom line is the lack of commitment in most cases. This general lackadaisical attitude toward the sanctity of marriage is a major cause of divorce. Many people cite money as the cause of divorce. In fact, the statistics of a survey conducted by Citibank on the divorce in the United States suggested that more than fifty percent of divorced couples cited money problems as the cause of their divorce (34). Money has a role in society and in marriage. Lack of money causes discord between a married couple. This can be referred to as financial incompatibility, which is based on the views that each partner has of the partnership of marriage from a financial viewpoint...

Words: 330 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Divorce

...ause and Effect of Divorce In today’s society, divorce is more the norm than ever before. Forty percent of all marriages end in divorce. Divorce defined by Webster is the action or an instance of legally dissolving a marriage. Divorce itself is both a cause and effect. There are many causes of divorce. Some of the causes happen more often than others. For instance, the most common causes of divorce are poor communication, financial problems such as lack of money, lack of commitment to marriage, a dramatic change in priorities, infidelity, sexual indiscretion and the ease of getting a divorce. These are some of the most common causes of divorce. The effects of a divorce seem insurmountable when comparing the grief it causes on both sides. Most people describe the cause and effects of a divorce. (Divorce Cause and Effect) (Causes of Divorce) The cause of increasing divorce is lack of communication. Most couples have poor communication. A marriage is on the rocks when the lines of communication fail. A couple can’t have an effective relationship if neither one of them won’t discuss their feelings, cant’ talk about mutual or personal issues, will keep their resentments simmering under wraps, and expect your partner to guess what the whole problem is about. Communication is a very important part of a relationship. This is one of the reason’s pre-martial counseling is encouraged. (Panse) Communication can help in understanding one another. Couples...

Words: 326 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Second Marriage Research Paper

...mistreats his spouse's mother then it can’t be used for a divorce.  There was once an Italian man that brought his mother along on his honeymoon, then his new bride soon asked for a divorce.   There is only two U.S Presidents who have been known to have been divorced: Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan.  They say couples that live in Republican states are twenty seven percent more likely to divorce than couples in Democratic states.  (54 interesting facts about divorce) Couples who marry in the Republican states have a historically younger marriage than their Democratic counterparts. In ancient Chaldea, if...

Words: 1011 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Divorce

...Divorce I will start out by explaining the definition of divorce. A divorce is a legal action between married people to terminate their marriage relationship. It can be referred to as dissolution of marriage and is basically, the legal action that ends the marriage before the death of either spouse (Meyer, nd). One might say, what causes couples to decide to get a divorce? There are many reasons for divorce. I believe that most marriages end when a man and a woman decide to get married they do not realize all the stresses of life that come with being married. They get married thinking all will be great when in reality there is always something that could go wrong. Couples argue about things like money, bills, work, and children. Sometimes there may be more severe cases such as one or the other spouse finds someone else and that can lead to adultery. Adultery is one of the many causes of divorce, but despite what people may say very few marriages end because of infidelity. Most divorces occur in the first two to five years of marriage, and are mostly asked for by the women. In some cases it can be a mutual decision to get a divorce. The wife may retain the husband's name, although in most cases she may choose to go back to her maiden name. No one likes the idea of divorce, but it seems to be a more common issue among many couples in today’s society. Divorce is quite costly and can be a very difficult process. When children are involved in a marriage it is usually harder than...

Words: 763 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Effects of Divorce on Children

...The Effects of Divorce on Children Christopher M Quinn Developmental Psychology Liberty University Abstract This research paper will attempt to shed light of the very real issue of the effects of divorce on children in the United States and abroad. It is estimated that currently fifty-three percent of all marriages in the United States end in divorce or other less than amicable methods; of these marriage dissolutions, seven out of ten involve children. This paper will attempt to connect the negative psychological impacts that are attached to the lives of children especially in the vulnerable early developmental stages of a child’s life. This research paper will pull from many different reputable sources that include a prominent university, psychiatric journals, and accredited psychology research papers. Today in the United States of America over fifty percent of all marriages, no matter what religion joined the couple, end in a divorce or less than amicable circumstances. There have been many theories presented over time as to why divorce occurs and why these rates have increased so dramatically over the last forty years. Some believe that the economy may play a role; others believe that the length of the engagement or relationship plays an important part; the couple living together prior to marriage “increases” the chance that divorce will result; or not cohabitating prior to marriage may contribute as the transition period is too stressful; still others believe...

Words: 1905 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Divorce Today

...Divorce Today In today’s society, divorce is more the norm than ever before. Forty percent of all marriages end in divorce. Divorce defined by Webster is the action or an instance of legally dissolving a marriage . Divorce itself is both a cause and an effect. Some of the causes of divorce include the lack of money, sexual indiscretion and the ease of getting a divorce. These are some of the most common causes of divorce. Further, the effects of a divorce seem insurmountable when comparing the grief it causes on both parties. Many people cite money as a cause of divorce. In fact, the statistics of a survey conducted by Citibank on divorce in the United States suggested that more than fifty percent of divorced couples cited money problems as the cause of their divorce. I believe that money has a role in society and in marriage. However, the lack of money does cause discord between a married couple. This can be referred to as financial incompatibility, which is based on the views that each partner has of the partnership of marriage from a financial viewpoint. He/she should also think about the effects of divorce on their financial situation. Also, they should know that divorce does not solve financial problems. Instead, the divorce must be paid for and the divorced couple must now set up two households instead of one. This is a classic example of why divorce is not necessary and sex indiscretion is. Sexually indiscretion is the second leading cause of divorce. Sexually indiscretion...

Words: 336 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Disintegration Of Marriage In The United States

...In the United States, the disintegration of a marriage is fairly common. Almost half of all marriages end in divorce. This can be frightening to many, including myself, because a marriage is something that bonds two people together, no matter what. Marriage gives a feeling of complacency. The first reason a marriage may lead to divorce is lack of commitment. Commitment in a relationship provides a sense of safety and loyalty. The effects of little or no commitment can cause trouble expressing thoughts, feelings, and desires to one another. These emotions are vital to any healthy relationship or marriage. Another reason for disintegration of marriage is less income. Not having enough income to support two or even more people can cause guilt,...

Words: 366 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Divorce

...Millions of married couples in America file for divorce everyday. The causes are numerous ranging from boredom of the spouse to violent treatment. Couples who get a divorce often have children, which are the most affected when a divorce occurs. Divorces usually lead to separation of belongings (including children), absence of one parent during children’s growth, and destruction of the family unit. When a divorce is filed it means that a couple has reached a point in which they can not stand to be with each other. The ones who suffer the most in these cases are the products of the love the couple once had for each other: their children. After a divorce takes effect, each of the parent’s belongings are usually evenly divided. The things that can be easily divided include a house, car, and bank accounts. But, children are not things that we can sell or divide. For this reason, divorced couples fight in court for the custody of their children. Each parent has to present their case and demonstrate that he or she is the most capable parent to take care of the children. This includes economic, social, and other aspects of life. Once a judge decides who the children will stay with (usually the mother) the other parent will have no other choice but to limit himself to visitations to his or her children. Some might even be obliged to pay a monthly amount for child support. After custody is won by one of the parents, children will have to adjust to living with just that parent most of...

Words: 632 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Family as a Social Institution

...that come along with it. I will be focusing on the American family and its traditions and also how divorce impacts the family and community. The American family can limit social contact but I can also flourish through the family. The modern American family as a social institution can be taken in many different ways. In some the typical American family known as nuclear (mother, father, and kids) is declining. The other type of family is extended or encompassing other relatives. These families are also called traditional families because these families are what Americans have come accustomed to. Thus because families are growing and allowing extended family in. another reason why they are declining because families are becoming one parent and the children or spit parents and the children live with extended family. Many people do not agree with this conclusion because there have not been any studies to show this but from observation and a look around your own community I sure you can find one of these untraditional families. There are many factors that contribute to families breaking up and becoming unconditional. One huge reason that contributes to families breaking up today is the economy. Many parents are losing their jobs, which is causing tension between the parents and causing many divorces. Another factor of unconditional families is teenage pregnancy, in the United States today when a teenage girl gets pregnant the male figure will usually not stick around causing a non...

Words: 828 - Pages: 4