The Effects of Divorce in American Culture

1715 Words4 Pages

The effects of divorce on the American culture are immense. Social scientists have been studying these effects for many years now. The studies are continuing to confirm that the climbing rate of divorce in the American culture is hurting the society and also frequently devastating the lives of many American children. More often than not people decide to get a divorce before they really think about the effects of divorce. People usually decide to get a divorce based on emotion rather than logic which can hinder their long term happiness. There are many areas in which divorce has a negative effect in the life of a child or an adult. Many of these effects also directly correlate to the effect on a society. However, there is hope. Although divorce is being more widely recognized as being harmful to both culture and to the individuals involved, there are many ways that a society can seek to reduce this harm and attain a goal of being a culture dedicated to the well-being of the family unit.

Children involved in a divorce are deeply affected and the lasting effects will virtually extend out to every aspect of the child's life. The statistics being provided show the many ways that this is true. Children of divorce are more likely to show signs of struggle with academic achievement have more emotional problems, are involved more frequently in drug abuse and crime, and many others. Conduct problems are common in children coming from broken homes. A study suggested that this could be due to the fact that divorce has a negative effect on the parenting a child receives (Shansky, 2002). A father becomes less involved for example. Also, a mother must adjust along with the children and often experiences depressive tendencies as a result. These...

... middle of paper ...

...future. These effects can be lessened if the rate of divorce is also lessened. There will be a cost, but the long term payoff will most certainly exceed any costs in economical terms, and the payoff will prove to be a benefit that the American culture so desperately needs.

Works Cited
Adelson, J. (1996, September). Splitting Up. Commentary, Vol. 102, n3, p63(4)

Fagan, P.F., Rector, R. (2000, October). The Effects of Divorce on America. World and I, v15, i10, pNA.

Himes, K., Coriden, J. (2004) The Indissolubility of Marriage: Reasons to Reconside Theological Studies 65.3 453+. Retrieved from GeneralOneFile. .

Shansky, J. (2002). Negative effects of divorce on child and adolescent psychosocial, adjustment. Journal of Pastoral Counseling, vol.37, p73(15).

Open Document