Sexuality in Middle Adulthood
23
Divorce has become a major force in American life. A quick observation of demographics in this country points to a growing way of life: postdivorce singlehood. Contrary to divorce trends in the twentieth century, in recent decades, the divorce rate has actually dropped. Because divorce is so prevalent, many studies have focused on its effects on partners and children. From these studies, a number of consequences of divorce have been identified as follows: There is often stigmatization by family, friends, and co-workers. There is a change of income (usually a substantial decline for women and their children). There is a higher incidence of physical, emotional, behavioral, and social problems among both men and women, including depression, injury, and illness. There are significantly more problems with children, including criminality, substance abuse, lower academic attainment and performance, earlier sexual activity, and a higher rate of divorce. Children are twice as likely as those in two-parent families to develop serious psychiatric problems and addictions later in life. Many individuals report being less close to their parents and, if they marry, are more likely to get divorced than persons from two-parent families.
However, it should be noted that the majority of children whose parents have divorced do not suffer long-term consequences simply because of the divorce.