11/26/2025 divorce!

measuring divorse rates

• estimates

  • there are 5 states that do not participate in the federal goverment data collection

• crude divorce rate

  • number of divorces per 1,000 people in the population

  • 2021: 2.8 divorces per 1000 people in the country

  • major increase in rate to those marrying early before men went off to war and then divorcing after they came back or during the great depression divorces were less because people waited untill the economy got better before finalizing their divorce

  • the denominator also includes people who are also not able to divorce such as:

    • children

    • those under 18

• marriage to divorce ratio

  • 2021

    • 2.3 marriages for every 1 divorce in the country

    • the mean number of marriages is increasing relative to the increase in divorces

• Refined divorce rate:

  • number of divorces in a year for every 1000 married couple in the country

• marriage to divorce rate scenario

  • if there is one mariage and a couple gets divorced the ration is 1:1

• redefined divorce rate

  • 1 per 1000 or .1%

• Macro structural determinants

  • extra-familial institutions

    • pre industrialto industrial → extra familial institutions

      • these institutions provide extra resources and support or alternative sources of finantial security education religion healthcare and leisure

      • Thus family stability becomes less important because of these alternate options

  • no-fault divorse legislation

    • only certain types of serious marital misconduct such as adultery cruelty and desertion would allocate grounds for a divorse

    • in 1970 CA granted divorse options for irreconcible differences? look it up later

    • initial reaction from population

      • there was a surge in divorse rates after this came out however they eventially leveled out

      • the change in the law was a consequence of changing behavior in the population

    • increase in women’s employment

      • independance effect

        • more likely to leave if marriage is unhappy

        • need a mediator such as an unahppy marriage for increasing probability of divorse in dual income households

    • income effect

      • good for marriages because it decreases the financial deficit

      • the male or masculine partner may be hurt by the other partner having to work to help support the family unit

      • change in values

        • growth of individualism and expectation of personal fulfillment in marriage

    • redefined marriage rates mediators

      • individual risk factors

        • low income

        • low education

        • job loss especially the husbands or maculine coded partner

        • age at marriage

          • more likely to divorce if married young

          • maturity

          • more surface-level attractions than deep-level attractions such as ideals, morals, values ,behaviors, 

        • parental divorce

        • second or higher marriage

          • repeated behavior

            • kevin hart talked about this in his comedy show

          • kids of other people

            • biases

            • could be looking for more surface level attractions 

        • race and ethnicity

          • Some of these differences remain after accounting for spouses employment status income and education

          • stressers related to discriminations

          • less emphasis on marriage relative to extended family ties

        • Secondary stressors

• Differences between children of divorce and other children

  • children in divorced families 

    • lower academic acheivement 

    • higher rate of emotional and behavioral problems

    • more problematic relationships with parents

  • adults who experience parental divorce as children 

    • lower levels of psychological well being educational attainment job status standard of living and maritial satisfaction 

    • higher rates of divorce

    • decline in parental time energy patience and supervision 

      • less time and energy with parent 

      • less supportive 

      • fewer rules

      • harsher discipline 

      • less supervision

      • engage in more conflict with their children

    • losing contact with one parent for a period of time

      • three studies that support 

        • losing parent through death

        • another adult that is more fit to be a caregiver 

        • close relationship with both parents

        • children who lose parent through divorce

    • economic decline

    • multiple transitions

      • 40% divorced mothers move in first year → new school → new house → new enviroment

    • maritial conflict prior to divorce

      • not a mediator but part of the process

      • stressor

      • models fighting as a mode of problem solving

    • lowering incidence of divorce

      • restrictive laws

        • increasing proportion in seperated and high conflict families 

      • enhance maritial happiness

        • tax code to benifit married parents

          • increases relative disadvantage of singleparent families

        • promote marriage prep and counseling 

          • only minor benifits

        • increase incidence of joint physical custody

          • selection effect

            • higher education

            • higher income

            • less hostile fathers

        • child support reform

          • regular child support is associated with few behavior probs and higher test scores

        • probs:   

          • not ethical for those of lower income as it might encourage them to partake in illegal mthods of obtaining finances

        • promote economic self sufficiency

          • govt subsidized job training and child care

          • DADS program

        • therapuetic interventions

          • child oriented

          • fewer maladaptive attitudes about divorse better classroom behavior less anxiety