Causes and Effects of Divorce - Essay Example

Causes and Effects of Divorce Introduction The family is the basic building unit of any social society. A united family provides members with peace, love and harmony as cultivated through the interrelationship of parents and children. Anything that interferes with such a unity has the potential of causing undesirable effects on the family members. One of such factors is divorce. Divorce could result from various factors that cause disagreement between the spouses with the effects being devastating to both the parents and children. Causes The major cause of divorce would be marital violence. Deterioration of marital relationships is strongly associated with aggression, whose presence may cause separation or divorce within a marriage’s first 4 years. Studies show that couples who exhibit aggression in their marriages would be more likely to end their marriages through divorce or separation than those that do not (Fine and Harvey 98). Newlyweds are particularly at risk as they show higher levels of aggression. Partners facing marital violence mostly downplay the violence by making excuses for not seeking help for the behavior, opting instead for divorce. The link between marital dissatisfaction and divorce is strong. Couples that are unhappy with their union are at an increased risk of divorce than those who are happier. Fine and Harvey support this postulate, noting the risk to be higher if the husband is the unhappy one of the couples (97). The risk when the wife was unhappy was noted to remain the same as when both are happy. Marital dissatisfaction may come as a result of the two people growing apart for various reasons causing them to lose touch of each other. Adultery is one reason that may cause couples to grow apart as it causes mistrust to creep in. Such mistrust causes couples to prefer to be apart, hence divorce. Additionally, alcohol and substance abuse has led to the dissolution of many marriages. Alcohol consumption, particularly in excessive amounts, leads to lack of control and could lead to physical or psychological abuse which strains marriages (Sember 6). Alcoholics would not aware of the damage caused to the family, especially because parenting would be left to one partner. A marriage with one or both partners engaging in substance abuse would be 4 times more likely to end in divorce than one where the partners do not (Fine and Harvey 97). A majority of men divorcees report spousal abuse as the cause of their divorce. Finally, economic challenges accelerate the risk of divorce. Studies have shown that couples are at a high risk of divorce when they earn equal incomes perhaps due to access to equal portions of resources hence the perception of independence (Fine and Harvey 90). Where wives contribute half of the family income, the risk of divorce is said to be the highest. Unemployment increases the risk of divorce especially where one or both spouses are unemployed because of the associated stress that causes each to blame the other for their financial problems. Other economic reasons for divorce include the inability of spouses to agree on division of family money and other spouses taking up night jobs. Thus, financial management risks divorce for spouses. Divorce remains an undesirable happening to any family as it negatively affects family members. Effects Divorce negatively impacts on individual lives of spouses. The misunderstandings that might have led to the divorce would have started way before the divorce, making the lives of both spouses unbearable according to Noton. The most common reactions to a divorce include sleeplessness, anger, worry, nervousness, body aches, loss of appetite and weight loss and some even go into depression. The divorcees lose friendships especially those that were formed during their marriage, leaving the individuals to deal with the stresses of divorce alone. Furthermore, married couples could not be at ease to incorporate a single person into their friendship circles, while some divorced individuals isolate themselves from friends. Economic standards could worsen with divorce, where the family would be forced to survive on one partner’s income. As a result, some could engage in alcohol and substance abuse due to the financial stress, resulting to lack of performance in their jobs. This may lead them to lose their jobs and may result to engagement in crime for sustenance. Children are the most affected when it comes to divorce. In particular, their academic achievement and academic attainment would be negatively affected. Adolescents are especially likely to have lower cognitive development as a result of divorce. Children from divorced families have been shown to have higher drop out rates, increased disengagement in class as well as decreased college and high school completion (Fine and Harvey 292). In addition to this, they are more likely than children in first-marriage families to exhibit deviant, noncompliant aggressive behavior as well as engage in substance abuse and crime. In unlikely cases, children from divorced families may perform better in school since there is less trouble at home. Additionally, children from divorced families have an increased risk of depression. This is mainly prevalent among adolescents, who exhibit slow socio-emotional adjustment (Fine and Harvey 292). Boys have been shown to exhibit aggressive behavior, while girls may go into depression, as they may feel rejected and angry, especially at the parent who left. Similarly, they are more at risk of attempting and having suicidal thoughts and is not monitored closely may commit suicide. Furthermore, the absence of one parent has been shown to an increase in the risk for early sexual engagement. This is especially true for girls who lack a father, increasing the risk of teen pregnancies, engagement in risky sexual practices, early marriage and ultimately divorce. Conclusion Divorce is one of the most devastating phases in a marriage. It results from disagreements between spouses that could be caused by adultery, level of income and unemployment or lack of it, to alcohol and substance abuse. This eventuality causes mental, social and economic deterioration among the involved children and parents. However, while the partners may adjust without strain, children sometimes face long term effects such as poor performance at school, dropping out, engagement in aggressive and delinquent behavior, and engagement in substance and alcohol abuse and crime. Therefore, just as there are many causes of divorce, so are there many negative effects of this undesirable eventuality affecting the whole family. Works Cited Fine, M. A. and John Harvey. Handbook of Divorce and Relationship Dissolution. New York, NY: Taylor Francis Group, 2006. Print. Noton, E. “The Effects of Divorce on Children and Families.” Columbia Center for Community Health Partnerships. Columbiacchp, 12 Apr. 2009. Web. 04 Mar 2014. http://www.columbiacchp.org/2009/04/effects-of-divorce-on-chidren-and.html Sember, B. The Complete Divorce Handbook: A Practical Guide. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Co., 2009. Print. Read More