Long-term Social Effects of a High Divorce Rate

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by: jameswalsh
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Word Count: 709

There are different reasons for the increase in divorce rates but the bottom line is that more people get divorced today, than before.

The General Consequences of Divorce

Whether people divorce amicably or acrimoniously, the fact is that it does cause a lot of unhappiness. Divorce does not leave people unscathed. An institution that was created to bring people together and create new relationships is breaking relationships and tearing people apart. People are becoming increasingly distrustful and marriage is looked upon warily.

The impact of divorce is not one-dimensional and has many layers, which makes it difficult to recover from. When two people come together they bring different aspects of their lives to the union. When they break up, all these aspects get affected. The general consequence of a high divorce rate is that a social norm is threatened. People are choosing to marry at a late age and some not at all. The threat to the concept of marriage may not be immediate but will definitely be impacted in the long run.

An Insecure Generation

The greatest impact of divorce is felt by the children of a couple. To them, their very world has fallen apart. It may sound dramatic but the fact is that a lot of times children never recover from the emotional scars of a divorce. The adults we become are defined by the childhood we’ve had. Therefore, a childhood that has left one shaken and unsure can undermine our confidence, as we get older. It is like the foundation of a building -- if it is not strong, the building will not be able to stand the test of time.

Issues like trust, self-esteem, happiness, survival all come into play when children have to face divorce. As a consequence, they can become aggressive, untrustworthy and insecure adults. The increase in the rate of divorce means that there will be an increase of such adults in society. Dysfunctional adults, translates into a dysfunctional society at large.

Not every child whose parents divorce will grow up with complexes. However, the percentage of such adults will definitely be more when the rate of divorce is higher. It is indeed a troubling thought as to what kind of children we are creating by depriving them of a secure and loving childhood. We may not know the complete effect on society now but there is no doubt that generations to come will be affected.

Breakdown of Society as We Know It

Marriage over several centuries has been a defining aspect of our society. Marriage is the upholder of families and social mores and norms. Already with multi-cultural marriages, there have been changes in societal patterns. Slowly there is a merging of cultures and breaking down of class barriers. However, marriage has still been able to hold its own and form the central theme of life.

The increase in the rate of divorce has seen an increase in people choosing to live together. People in Western societies see marriage as unnecessary and establish associations and have families without marriage. A woman retains her maiden identity and has children with a person she may never marry. This kind of association may see people have committed relationships with different partners. The binding aspect of marriage is dissolved and, therefore, might impact property distribution and heritage.

Currently the trend of increased divorce has given rise to speculation on the breakdown of society as we know it. However, it is too early to make definite pronouncements and herald a major change. History tells us that even the smallest change happens over generations. Therefore, to predict the absolute breakdown of marriage might be premature but no one will deny that it is a definite possibility.

Conclusion

Whatever the long-term effects of divorce may be, one can definitely see a short-term impact. Till death do us apart is no longer valid and could be changed to, till divorce does us apart. The social stigma attached to divorce hardly exists and even if it does, it doesn’t seem to matter. Even divorce laws are more relaxed to help people make the break as quickly and as painlessly as possible. Divorce lawyers are highly in demand and what is a telling point, is that DIY divorces have become popular. This suggests that people want to waste no time in moving on.

About the Author

James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you want to find out more about a solicitor managed divorce see http://www.managed-divorce.co.uk

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