Family refers to a group of people related by birth, marriage or co-residence. Spouses, parents, brothers, sons, daughters, and sisters form a primary unit of a family. Other members such as grandparents, uncles, and aunts constitute an extended family. However, it is worth noting that some of the members of an extended family can constitute an immediate family depending on the existing relationships. For example, if the grandparents are the ones tasked with a responsibility of raising their orphaned grandchildren, then they become the immediate members of the family. Furthermore, people living together in a household, bounded by the same race or fellowship can also be regarded as a family. Even though strong relationships characterize a family, this bond is affected by other interpersonal issues such as divorce, drug addiction, and abuse.
Violence and abuse is a common interpersonal issue that most families encounter. Verbal and physical abuse perpetrated by one individual towards the other disrupts the fundamental harmony that a family is founded upon. Generally, abuse can occur between spouses, parents and other family members. Due to the need to protect each other, most of the domestic violence cases are rarely reported. Nevertheless, in most domestic violence cases, women and children are the primary victims. For instance, a survey carried out by National Criminal Victims in 2005 corroborated that 1181 women were murdered by their intimate partners (Moyer, 2013). As postulated by Moyer (2013), this statistical data translates to about 30% of all the murders caused by domestic violence. Furthermore, in 2010, 3.3 million cases of child abuse were reported in the United States (Moyer, 2013). Rape, battering, and verbal abuse are some common examples of domestic violence.
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Divorce is another major challenge that most families face. A family is usually built around a strong bond between spouses or parents. Whenever a divorce is initiated, children are the immediate culprits. With this knowledge, divorce leads to the dissolution of a family unit by instigating conflicts among family members. According to the American psychological association, divorce rates in the US range between 40% to 50% (Kennedy & Ruggles, 2014). With this knowledge, it is evident that divorce is a prevalent interpersonal issue that most families on the globe encounter. This interpersonal issue causes children to withdrawal from friends and family members which may also affect their academic performance. With this behavior, peace in a family unit is jeopardized. Even though divorce is an interpersonal issue, it heavily affects other members of the family. When lovers decide to part ways, the relationship between extended family members is also affected since they are likely to take sides.
Drug addiction is another fundamental challenge that most families encounter. Even though drug abuse is a personal issue, its effect on other members of the family is visible. Generally, drug addiction instigates wrangles and development of a negative attitude amongst family members. For example, when a father is a drug addict will he entirely take care of family welfare? Will he be responsible for nurturing morality in the family? In answering these questions, it is worth noting that drug addiction is the main cause of divorce and domestic violence (Kennedy & Ruggles, 2014). Based on this postulation, it is evident that addiction does more harm than good to the family unity.
Infidelity is another prevalent interpersonal issue that most families are battling. Generally, cheating is a violation of the respect accorded to marriage. As stipulated by a study carried out by Chicago General Social Survey (GSS) in 2013, 7% of women and 12% of men in the United States admitted having engaged in an extramarital relationship (Wright, 2013). Whenever infidelity prevails, respect amongst family members deteriorates which as a result leads to conflicts. For instance, when a mother cheats on her husband, she may not earn respect from other family members including her children. Based on this aspect, nurturing morality among children becomes a problem since they will not consider their parents as mentors in the first place. It is also important to note that infidelity is among the leading causes of domestic violence and divorce in society. When spouses realize that their loved partners are infidel, conflicts are likely to occur since infidelity is a violation of the guidelines that render marriage an institution.
Lack of communication is another fundamental challenge that most families encounter. Strong and healthy family units are characterized by effective communication capabilities. Generally, communication is the main building block of proper parenting and relationships. An honest exchange of information creates a good atmosphere which is essential for family members to express their differences and admiration for each other. With this knowledge, lack of communication in families instigates conflicts and lack of trust amongst members. Inability of family members to balance work and family demands has been cited as one of the main causes of lack of communication in households. As postulated by Wright (2013), there is a strong link between communication patterns and family satisfaction. For instance, most positive couples consider open communication the main reason they are living happily (Kennedy & Ruggles, 2014). Harmony and unity in the family are developed by nurturing a culture where members can have fruitful discussions. Therefore, when there is no proper communication, it is difficult for family members to solve common wrangles which may end up turning members towards each other. For example, when parents are not communicating in the household, having proper discussions with their children may also become a problem.
References
Kennedy, S., & Ruggles, S. (2014). Breaking up is hard to count: The rise of divorce in the United States, 1980–2010. Demography , 51 (2), 587-598.
Moyer, V. A. (2013). Screening for intimate partner violence and abuse of elderly and vulnerable adults: US preventive services task force recommendation statement. Annals of internal medicine , 158 (6), 478-486.
Wright, P. J. (2013). Internet pornography exposure and women's attitude towards extramarital sex: An exploratory study. Communication Studies , 64 (3), 315-336.
