Cause and effect of divorce - Essay Example

The contemporary society has accepted divorce as the ultimate way of solving irreconcilable differences between married couples. It is estimated that50% of marriages in the US end up in divorce, making it one of the countries where divorce is highly prevalent (Lewis 17). Marriage is an institution, which should be founded on love, responsibility, trust, faithfulness and understanding. It is usually the wish of every wedded couple to sustain the union until death does them apart but this is not usually the case.

There are numerous challenges and temptations in life, which affect the longevity of marriage unions especially because different individuals have different capacities to withstand such challenges. This paper is a critical evaluation of the causes and effects of divorce. There are various reasons as to why a couple may decide to get a divorce. For example, it is true to say that once a person has decided to get married, he will have made an important choice to be loyal and faithful to the person he or she is going to marry.

However, infidelity and adultery have continued to be a major threat to the institution of marriage especially in the contemporary society (Stewart 28). Cheating on a person is absurd and disrespectful and not many people can withstand the pain and agony associated with this shameful act. If proven, infidelity is a justifiable reason for any person to want to terminate a marriage especially in this era of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Domestic violence is an evil, which has continued to ruin marriages throughout the world.

2004 statistics indicate that 17% of divorce cases in the UK were because of one partner abusing the other either physically or emotionally (Lewis 44). Couples are supposed to love and protect each other. However, if a partner becomes a threat then divorce becomes a necessity to avoid complications, which may include disability or death. Every person has weaknesses and it is usually important for a couple to study each other in order to discover them before entering into a lifetime commitment.

However, some couples get married without putting this into much thought or thinking that they would eventually help their partners to overcome their shortcomings only to end up being frustrated. Alcoholism and drug abuse are examples of such weaknesses, which have contributed to numerous cases of divorce around the world. Money is important but current trends have proved that it is a major source of conflicts between married couples (Stewart 47). The lack of it creates problems as a family cannot survive without basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter among others.

This is usually worse in cases where the marriage is founded on material things instead of love. There are certain people who believe that there cannot be romance without finance and it is such people, who cannot survive in a marriage that is financially insecure. The effects of divorce are numerous and can vary according to individuals. To begin with, divorce has psychological effects on the participants and if these are not controlled through counseling, they may contribute to self-destruction.

Reports indicate that people who have been divorced are 3 times more likely to become alcoholics than those who have not. (Lewis 56). In addition, it leads to breaking up of families and this may have a negative effect on children. A child may love his parents but it is not always the same to be raised by a stepfather or mother. It hurts a child to see his father or mother leave after spending a significant share of his or her lifetime with the child. This may cause the children to lose hope and become rebellious to the extent of engaging in antisocial behavior especially if they feel that they are responsible for the divorce.

Such children also lack confidence and the motivation to enter into long-term relationships during their adult life because they have the feeling that they would end up getting hurt (Stewart 49). Works CitedLewis, Julia. The Unexpected Legacy of Divorce: A 25 Year Landmark Study. Hyperion, 2011. PrintStewart, Alison. Divorce: Causes and Consequences. Yale University Press, 2007. Print