The year 2010 saw many developments in the burgeoning field of marriage and family research. While the mainstream media's headlines were dominated by celebrity divorces, industry research highlighted several interesting developments that could possibly revolutionize thoughts about divorce and how its impact can be felt far outside the two divorcing spouses.
Children of Divorced Parents Twice as Likely to Suffer a Stroke
Researchers at the University of Toronto - in a landmark study of over 13,000 Canadian citizens - found a link between divorced parents and the likelihood of suffering a stroke. While the link is not definitive, the research revealed that children of divorced parents were more than twice as likely to suffer a stroke in their lifetime compared to people whose parents remained married.
Parents of Autistic Children May Be More Likely to Divorce
Divisive research released by the Journal of Family Psychology shows that parents of autistic children might be more likely to divorce as their children age. This research is hotly contested, however, and other similar studies - like the one performed at the Kennedy Kreiger Institute in Maryland - have found that there is no marked difference in the divorce risk between parents of autistic and non-autistic children.
Divorced Parents Pay Less for Their Children's Secondary Education
Researchers from Rice University and Harvard found that children of divorced parents pay nearly three times as much of their own college and graduate school expenses as those whose parents remain married. Children of blended families did not fare much better, paying roughly half their own expenses.
Have Divorcing Friends and Family Members? Your Marriage Is at Risk.
The University of California (San Diego) finds divorce might be "contagious" among friends and family of a divorcing couple. Once one couple has filed for divorce, their family members, friends and acquaintances are at a higher risk of separation. This may be due to the fact that a loved one's divorce causes each couple to reevaluate their own situation.
Happier Marriages Can Withstand Unfair Divisions of Labor
According to research performed at Bowling Green State University, women, on average, do about twice the amount of housework that their husbands do. This unfair division of labor generally goes unnoticed in happier marriages, however. It seems to be only when other issues are involved that the amount of time that each person contributes to running the household becomes an issue, due in no small part to the fact that women tend to fill a "caretaker" role and perform chores as a way to both keep the household running and to feel like they are making a positive contribution to the marriage.
Money Buys Happiness?
Joint research performed by the University of Virginia's National Marriage Project and New York's Center for Marriage and Families at the Institute for American Values shows that wealthier couples are increasingly less likely to divorce. While money woes have been affecting the middle class negatively (rates are rising among less affluent couples), with a nearly 40 percent divorce rate in the first 10 years of marriage, highly educated couples with better fiduciary resources divorce at a rate of only 11 percent.
Mediation Is Surprisingly Effective
Divorce mediation has been proven - by studies reported by Conflict Resolution Quarterly - to reduce conflict and result in long-lasting, workable custody and visitation plans. Mediation gives couples a sense of control over the outcome of the proceedings, giving them a vested interest in reaching a solution in a quick and cost-effective manner.
China's Future as an Economic Superpower is Disrupting Family Life
The University of Vermont's Department of Community Development and Applied Economics analyzed more than 20 years of Chinese marriages and divorces for a report printed in the Journal of Divorce and Remarriage finds that the divorce rate for Chinese couples is increasing dramatically. The increase is especially high in regions of China where economic growth and education are at the forefront of everyday life. Unprecedented opportunity seems to have led to feelings of discontent among couples who might not have seen divorce as a viable option in the past.
Divorcing Men Behave Differently Than Divorcing Women
The American Journal of Epidermiology determined that divorcing men show a dramatic increase in fitness levels compared to both married men and divorcing women. Divorcing men tend to pay much more attention to their bodies, likely as a way to appear more attractive to a potential partner. Divorcing women, on the other hand, tend to let their appearance go while focusing on the issues involved in the separation.
Children of Divorce Universally Shoulder the Blame
A sample survey of thousands of adolescent boys and girls found that children universally report feeling that they are the cause of their parents' marital troubles. The feelings of blame tend to have an impact on the children's school performance, personal relationships and social growth.
While 2010 was an interesting year for marriage and family researchers, more data is needed to determine that full impact of divorce on the parties, the children involved, loved ones and society as a whole. One thing is clear, however; the decision to divorce is not one to be taken lightly. If you are thinking of seeking a divorce or legal separation, you need the guidance of a skilled family law attorney in your area.
