While none of us expect to divorce when we choose the person we marry; more than 40% of marriages in the U.S. will end in divorce.
Another staggering statistic is that more than half of American children will be witness to the end of their parents marriage and nearly half of them will see their parent's second marriage fail as well.
Why do statistics matter?
While the numbers in the statistical data change every year, the historical trends of such data give us a great deal of information that helps us make decisions related to our future and the future of our children. A bad marriage will still be a bad marriage regardless if the data suggests the alternative is difficult and also problematic. However, it is better to know and understand through the use of these social statistics, that events meant to improve our lives, may fall short for an alarming number of people. Perhaps it is such foresight that will provide us an opportunity to head-off some potential pitfalls in the aftermath of divorce.
When we recognize our marriage can not be saved despite our greatest effort, we must see the alternative as the lessor of two difficult journeys. However, it will still be a journey our children also endure. Either way, it is better to know these statistics for divorce preparation, understanding and actionable plans to help our family and children overcome the national statistical odds.
Children affected by divorce
- 1 million children in U.S. are involved in a divorce annually1
- 1 in 10 children whose parents are divorced will also see three or more subsequent parental marital break-ups1
- Percentage of children living in single parent households (compared to two parent households) has risen from approximately 20% from the late 1960's up to nearly 50% within the last decade1
Children, education, health and divorce
- The high school drop out rate for children with divorced parents is roughly two times more than elementary families (families made up of two parents and their children)5
- Adult children whose parents divorced tend to make less money and have lessor education than their parents3
- Children of divorce are more likely to experience injury, asthma, speech impediments and headaches as children whose parents remained married3
Dads matter - Percentages of children negatively affected by an absent father
- 71% of teen pregnancies resulted from teens in households where there was no father (US Dept. of Health & Human Services, 1999)4
- 19.7 million U.S. children (more than 1 in 4) live without their father in the home2
- 63% of youth suicides are children from fatherless homes2
- 90% of runaways and homeless children are from fatherless homes4
- 85% of all children with behavioral abnormalities are from fatherless homes4
- 71% of all high school drop-outs are from fatherless homes (National Principals Association Report)4
- 75% of adolescent patients in substance abuse centers are from fatherless homes 4
Mental afflictions & emotional affects of divorce and single parent households
- Teens from single parent households and blended families are 300% more likely to require psychological help than children in an elementary family (family made up of two parents and their children)3
- Statistically, people from divorced households are twice as likely to attempt suicide as people from elementary families3
Reference: http://www.divorcestatistics.info/facts-about-divorce-and-children.html 1, US Department of Health Census2, https://www.verywellfamily.com/children-of-divorce-in-america-statistics-1270390 3, https://thefatherlessgeneration.wordpress.com/statistics/ 4 , https://www.children-and-divorce.com/children-divorce-statistics.html#statistics 5
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