Main Reasons For Divorce In The United States And How It Impacts Family

Approximately 50 percent of marriages in the United States end in separation or divorce. As many understand, this disunion brings about change, oftentimes negative. The majority of households witness increased conflicts among family members, distance, and health-related issues. The increase in division among so many individuals is proving harmful to the American society.

The absence of money and economic stability is a constant stressor to the average American family. Dealing with conflicting financial goals tends to trigger dissension between both spouses, which increases the likelihood of divorce. It is estimated that “Fifty-seven percent of divorced couples in the United States cited financial problems as the primary reason for the demise of their marriage” (Jet,3).

Because so many individuals are financially irresponsible and continue to live above their means, it is understandable that a significant percentage of married couples quarrel over income and spending habits. After financial divorces, members of the family are more likely to disagree with what is best for the children and household, including child support, college tuition, and extracurricular activities. Although money is useful, it continues to be one of the leading factors in divorce and often affects a family negatively.

In the age of technology, communication is generally online, and as a result, the vast majority of people are not actively communicating face-to-face. This is the leading cause of break-ups and divorce as people are open to assuming their significant other’s emotions. Consequently, divorced family members distance themselves from each other to avoid conflict due to their miscommunication.

Families growing apart tend to have unpleasant encounters which further separates them from each other. Although communication is expected to be coherent in relationships, it is not always attainable due to our society. As a result, both former spouses and families detach and separate in the process.

Infidelity is one of the most prevalent issues married couples face. Around “15 percent of married women and 25 percent of married men have had extramarital affairs” (Brody, 4). In many instances, couples decide to separate after one is involved in an affair. Most children caught amid these divorces have weakened relationships with their parents and are more prone to developing mental illness. They feel unable to express their emotions to their parents, which can also create anger management issues. Because infidelity is known to cause very stressful divorces, it often leaves family members to cope with mental, behavioral and health issues. In children, this is particularly common.

Too many marriages end in divorce, and whatever the cause may be, the family is always impacted in some manner. In most situations, it is not possible to mitigate conflicts between married couples. This predominantly renders divorce cheaper and less impactful on family members. In other cases, divorce generates bigger issues from which it is more difficult to move on from. What is prevalent in virtually every divorce, is that, when children are involved, they usually end up suffering the most.