Introduction
Divorce has become a common aspect of modern American society. According to recent statistics from the United States Census Bureau, the divorce rate in the United States hovered around 50% throughout the 2010s (2020 Census data). This means that approximately half of all married couples in any given year are likely to divorce. Divorce impacts individuals, families, and children in many complex ways. For a research paper, it is important to thoroughly examine the topic of divorce from multiple perspectives using credible sources. This sample divorce research paper aims to explore several key factors related to divorce such as causes, effects, statistics, theories of divorce, and ideas for reform through an in-depth review of the scholarly literature.
Causes of Divorce
There are numerous potential causes and factors that may contribute to a marriage ending in divorce. Researchers have studied divorce causation extensively in an attempt to understand this prevalent phenomenon. Some of the leading divorce causes highlighted in research include:
Lack of commitment: One theory is that some spouses enter marriage without a strong long-term commitment to the institution of marriage itself. A lack of commitment makes divorce a more viable option when challenges arise (Amato & Previti, 2003).
Poor communication skills: The inability of spouses to effectively communicate with each other to resolve problems is linked to higher divorce risk. Poor communication leads to built up frustration and ultimately relationship dissolution (Gottman, 1994).
Financial problems: Money is a leading cause of arguments among couples. Financial strain and disputes over finances or debt are consistently linked to higher divorce rates (Dew, 2019).
Domestic violence/abuse: Physical or emotional abuse significantly damages marital satisfaction and trust between spouses. It is a cause of divorce across demographic groups (Amato & Previti, 2003).
Infidelity/extramarital affairs: Cheating breaks down intimacy and commitment in a marriage. Approximately 22-25% of divorces involve one partner having an affair (Amato & Previti, 2003).
Substance abuse: Alcoholism and drug addiction correlate strongly with higher divorce probability as it introduces instability, erodes communication, and strains family resources (Dew, 2019).
Personality/psychological factors: Traits like neuroticism, aggression, immaturity, and poor self-esteem have been linked to relationship instability and divorce rates (Karney & Bradbury, 1995).
Growing apart/loss of initial attraction: Over time, some spouses find they no longer have much in common or feel strong attraction, connection, or passion toward their partner (Amato, 2014).
Lack of premarital preparation: Couples who do not receive premarital counseling may be more likely to divorce as they were not fully prepared for challenges of marriage (Stanley et al., 2006).
While these are some of the primary factors identifiable through empirical research, the causes of any given divorce are usually multi-factorial and complex. Furthermore, the impact and interaction of causes likely differs across demographic groups and situations. Overall, the reason for marital breakdown is seldom able to be reduced to just one isolated cause.
Effects of Divorce
Divorce is known to produce a wide variety of effects that impact individuals, children, extended families and society. Some of the most significant consequences of divorce that have been documented in scholarly literature include:
Economic hardship: Divorced women especially often face higher poverty rates than married counterparts due to smaller household incomes and the costs of maintaining two households. Custodial parents may endure financial strain (Amato, 2000).
Psychological/emotional harm: Divorce is a highly stressful life transition linked to increased depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues for adults, especially women. Children may experience sadness, anger, or withdrawal (Amato, 2000).
Poor academic performance: Children of divorced families tend to achieve lower educational levels on average and have higher dropout rates than children from intact families (Amato, 2010).
Behavioral/social problems in children: Issues such as aggression, delinquency, early sexuality, and substance abuse are more common among children who experienced parental divorce (Amato, 2000; Teachman, 2008).
Strained family ties: Extended family bonds may weaken as new household structures emerge post-divorce with blended stepfamilies. Visitation conflicts can damage parent-child relationships (Amato, 2000).
Intergenerational effects: Adults whose parents divorced are also more likely to cohabitate, have nonmarital births, and divorce themselves, suggesting divorce can affect relationship patterns spanning generations (Amato & Cheadle, 2005; Wolfinger, 2005).
Societal economic burden: The costs of divorce, such as increased use of government assistance, healthcare/counseling resources, and lower tax revenues produce billions in economic expenditures annually (Hall & Zhao, 1995).
Clearly, the impacts of divorce extend well beyond the adults legally ending their marriage. Children, families, and society face myriad consequences as well. Policies and interventions aim to help mitigate negative effects experienced by vulnerable groups like children.
Divorce Statistics and Trends
Researchers have developed a robust body of quantitative data on divorce trends in the U.S. through systematic collection and analysis. Some notable statistics and trends regarding American divorce rates include:
The current U.S. divorce rate is estimated at around 7.7 divorces per 1,000 people, which translates to approximately 50% of all marriages ending in divorce (2020 U.S. Census data).
Divorce rates rose sharply after the 1960s during the “divorce revolution” but have stabilized at high levels in recent decades (Amato, 2010; U.S. Census Bureau, 2020).
Those with less than a high school education experience divorce at almost double the rate of college graduates (Bramlett & Mosher, 2002; CDC National Survey of Family Growth, 2015).
Women initiate around two-thirds to three-fourths of all divorces (Ghate et al., 2018; U.S. Census Bureau, 2020).
Rates of divorce tend to be higher in southern states while lowest rates are seen in western and northeastern regions (Bramlett & Mosher, 2002; U.S. Census Bureau, 2020).
Risk factors for divorce include being young, lower income, Hispanic ethnicity, non-religious affiliation and cohabitation before marriage (Kreider, 2005; Sabatelli & Shehan, 1993).
Remarriage rates following divorce have steadily fallen over time (Schoen & Klemp, 1981; U.S. Census Bureau, 2020).
This glimpse into quantitative studies highlights how certain circumstances are correlated with increased or decreased divorce probabilities based on large sample statistics. The exact causes triggering dissolution likely vary in each marital breakup.
Divorce Theories
Social scientists have attempted to account for the divorce phenomenon through various theoretical models derived from sociological, psychological and economic schools of thought. Some of the leading perspectives on marital dissolution include:
Exchange theory – Introduced by economists, this view proposes that spouses perform a cost-benefit analysis of whether the rewards of remaining married continue to outweigh the costs. When costs like lost independence or finances exceed benefits like companionship, divorce occurs (Becker, 1981).
Lifecycle theory – This model suggests that changes across the lifespan such as children leaving home alter the experience and purpose of marriage, increasing some couples’ likelihood to divorce when household structures shift (Booth & Edwards, 1985; Cherlin, 1992, 2004).
Interactionist perspective – Psychological and sociological interactionist theories emphasize how spouses’ communication styles, personalities, conflict resolution abilities and levels of quality time spent together shape satisfaction that sustains or dissolves their union (Gottman, 1994).
Gendered divisions of household/childcare labor – Some research highlights that an inequitable division of domestic responsibilities fuels women’s higher divorce rate, consistent with exchange and “second shift” models (Bianchi, 2011; Sayer et al., 2009).
While each theoretical framework provides valuable insights, realities of marital stability and divorce tend to be complexly determined by numerous financial, socio-cultural, psychological and life course influences simultaneously. Most scholars agree that no single theory sufficiently explains such a multifaceted phenomenon (Amato et al., 2007). Rather, multiple theoretical perspectives in conjunction are needed.
Ideas for Reform
Considering the evident social, economic and child wellbeing impacts of separation and divorce, researchers have proposed various reforms for alleviating consequences and reducing rates if possible. Some recommendations within scholarly literature include:
Implementing statewide no-fault divorce restrictions to lengthen the divorce process and encourage reconciliation attempts or mediation (Allen & Brinig, 2011; Allen et al., 2012).
Offering premarital education/counseling programs to better equip couples with skills for sustaining healthy relationships before marriage (Stanley et al., 2006).
Establishing post-divorce coparenting/family counseling services to smooth transition periods and manage interparental conflict impacting children (Wolchik et al., 2002).
Discouraging economic self-interest aspects of current policy through changes to property division laws so that spouses are less incentivized by monetary motives to dissolve unions (Parkman, 2004).
Broadening public assistance support systems for custodial parents to help address financial strain that aggravates problems especially for
Andrew Stroud