The family is the structural block of civilization, and marriage is its base. Separation has prevalently weakened its impact on children on the major institutions of society, including the family, religious institutes, the government, and education. In the contemporary world, the foundation of the family has gradually grown weaker as many people choose cohabitation and single parenthood. Moreover, fewer adults are getting married while may more are continuously getting divorced. The main stakeholders affected by divorce are children as it affects their mental wellbeing, trust, and academic performance. In some cases, children result in rebellion, where numerous engage in substance abuse to fill the void left by the separation. Changes in family dynamics affect families and the organizations that support them. The US, thus, experiences economic constraints from heightened divorce statistics. This paper aims to assess the main reasons for divorce in the US and its impact on various institutions that support families.
Marriage is a game of chance as half of them end in separation. In the last two decades, the rate of divorce has increased due to various factors. Most importantly, more women are becoming financially independent to leave abusive and unhappy marriages. In the past, women did not have the financial stability to support their households, but in modern America, they have incomes that provide an economical alternative to become primary breadwinners. The global movement in gender quality has helped numerous women to work in prestigious positions with more money. Moreover, the decline in child pregnancies due to early sex education has significantly reduced the cases of pregnancy dropouts. Eventually, many girls acquire knowledge, which eventually leads to well-paying jobs. Additionally, changes in gender roles in America cause disputes among married couples. In most families, both parents work, and thus conflicts may arise about work schedules, childcare, and household responsibilities. Although not all changes in gender roles cause adverse effects, some have created possible areas of dispute.
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Communication problems have a significant impact on divorce. When couples continuously get into misunderstanding, they tend to end up splitting. According to the research carried out by Hawkins, Willoughby & Doherty (2012), communication was cited as a significant cause of divorce. Moreover, it indicated that more women complain about contact than men. Further, lack of common interests and lose of similar tastes may cause incompatibility, which consequently result in splits among married couples. Constant feelings of loneliness, being misunderstood, and loss of affection from partners are some of the issues that relate to a lack of communication. Cox & Demmitt (2013) posit that infidelity also causes divorce. The emotional constraint caused by the constant feeling of betrayal of trust and love makes married couples to grow apart. It is, however, imperative to understand that the impact of infidelity as a reason for divorce depends on the meaning attached to its significance. For instance, some individuals may tolerate their partner’s adultery for a range of reasons, whereas others consider unfaithfulness as a breach of their marital agreement. Abusive behaviors have led to a heightened rate of divorce in America. Physical, emotional, and mental abuse among family members may lead to divorce. Furthermore, domestic violence causes deterioration of the psychological and bodily health of individuals.
America’s heterogeneity may cause possible marriage dissolution. The country has numerous ethnic groups, and thus it is likely for marriages between people with different family backgrounds, education, race, and religious values to fail. This diversity may form a basis for divorce due to the wide disparity in opinions and viewpoints. It, therefore, makes it hard to establish a harmonious marriage. Furthermore, research shows that some people divorce due to constant interference from in-laws (Cox & Demmitt, 2013). America has a high acceptance of divorce. Separation is no longer a taboo, and although the process used to be tedious, new marriage laws have eased the process. Past stigma for divorcees has reduced over the years as the statistics of divorce rates increase (Cox & Demmitt, 2013). Moreover, according to Cox & Demmitt (2013), America’s high expectations of marriage are misguided. Based on their research on Divorce, they indicate that traditionally, people got into nuptials for financial security and companionship. Today, however, people get into marriages so that their lovers can fulfill all their relationship roles in their lives. This expectation may, however, result in disappointment and, consequently, divorce.
Divorce is, in most cases, considered a necessary evil. When people divorce, it affects the family and various family settings. First, it affects families and children. To begin with, divorce cause strain in parent-child relationships. While investigating the circumstances leading to divorce Amato, Dorius & Lamb (2010) indicate that children from divorced families tend to receive less financial and emotional support as compared to those from integrated marriages. Moreover, children are likely to develop trust issues with their parents as they feel betrayed. Additionally, in most cases, mothers are given custody of the children, and thus it may affect father-child relations. The frequency and quality of time spent with their father, therefore, declines after divorce (Amato, Dorius & Lamb, 2010). In extreme situations, the separation may cause the psychological illness of a child. They may develop stress-related conditions. Statistics depict that boys living with their mothers after separation tend to develop hostile behavior as compared to girls (Amato, Dorius & Lamb, 2010). Ladies, however, become worse when left to live with their fathers after parental divorce. Sibling relations are generally threatened when children are separated from each other. Eventually, for school-going children, divorce affects their relationships with their teachers and fellow students hence causing a decline in their grades.
Divorce, directly and indirectly, affects the government. Divorces are costly as they involve the hiring of attorneys and the division of assets. Although separation is expensive to the immediate individuals, it causes various implications for the government. Moreover, it affects the income capacity of households. Initially, when individuals are married, they tend to have dual incomes, which encourage savings and investments, consequently improving the economic state of the country. When divorced, however, each parent is forced to provide for the new households; thus, it discourages people from investing and saving hence leading to the deterioration of the country’s economy —separation results in an increased need for more housing, transportation, and more essential resources. After divorce, many American families experience poverty, with a record of 75% of the women seeking welfare benefits because of marriage dissolution (Fagan & Churchill, 2012). According to the research carried out by Fagan & Churchill (2012), it provides that divorce increases crime regardless of the racial and economic status of individuals. It mainly occurs when children result in crime to fill the void left after parental splits. Additionally, Fagan & Churchill (2012) propose that the rate of child abuse increases with divorce. They indicate that most children who have experienced sexual abuse are likely to have experienced it during adverse childhood events, including parental separation.
Another major institution affected by divorce is education. Separation diminishes a child’s learning capacity and educational attainment. The research carried out by McDevitt & Ormrod (2010), stipulate that split correlate positively with reduced school success and performance; therefore, they are less educated by the time they attain adulthood. Moreover, children from divorced backgrounds have lower grades due to marital disruption. Similarly, Fagan & Churchill (2012) indicate that children who experience divorce at an early age have lower educational outcomes. Additionally, separation makes children change schools many times, causing low performance. Religious institutions are directly affected by divorce. Firstly, split-ups diminish the frequency of spiritual practices such as worship of God and resort to Him in supplication (Vaaler, Ellison & Powers, 2009). In most cases, children abandon their faith after divorce. Moreover, their belief in religious teaching on marriage is significantly influenced. Comparatively, adult children raised in separated families are less spiritual than those in brought in happily married households (Vaaler, Ellison & Powers, 2009). The abandonment of faith deprives children of numerous beneficial impacts on areas such as marital stability, crime, sexual restraint, and general happiness.
Divorce adversely impacts people and society in many ways. The children brought up in today’s society are weaker than children from previous generations. Primarily, it is as a result of being raised in a civilization that does not uphold the institution of the family. The increase in divorce cases has led to a rise in chronic mental health illness among children. In addition, the economic state of the country has been affected by separation cases due to a decline in savings and investment. Moreover, separation causes an increase in crime rate among children of divorced parents, hence affecting the economy of the country. Religious practices such as worship of God have significantly reduced as many people undergoing divorce stop believing in Him. The paper identifies the main reasons for divorce to include infidelity, lack of communication channels, and dynamic changes in gender roles. Furthermore, America is diverse in culture, and this aspect considerably contributes to separation due to dissimilar cultural backgrounds. Additionally, global movements such as gender equality have contributed to the increase of income among women, which consequently leads to separation from abusive and unhappy marriages. Divorce, therefore, destroys an integral part of society –the family.
References
Amato, P. R., Dorius, C., & Lamb, M. (2010). Fathers, children, and divorce. The role of the father in child development , 5 , 177-200.
Cox, F. D., & Demmitt, K. (2013). Human Intimacy: Marriage, the family, and its meaning . Nelson Education.
Doherty, W. H. (2015). How common is divorce and what are the reasons. Should I keep trying to work it out ? 41-63.
Fagan, P. F., & Churchill, A. (2012). The effects of divorce on children. Marri Research , 1-48.
Hawkins, A. J., Willoughby, B. J., & Doherty, W. J. (2012). Reasons for divorce and openness to marital reconciliation. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage , 53 (6), 453-463.
McDevitt, T. M., & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Child development and education . Pearson Education. Vaaler, M. L., Ellison, C. G., & Powers, D. A. (2009). Religious influences on the risk of marital dissolution. Journal of Marriage and Family , 71 (4), 917-934.
