Dissolution and its Consequences

Question 1

we have less divorce because we have less marriages

Question 2

Divorce Rates in Canada

Answer 2

• 25.6% of marriages will end
  before their 30th anniversary
• it changes with age
• increses when u had divorced before
• 35 to 45 higher divorce age

Question 3

Global
Divorce
Rates

Answer 3

russia,china,united states (higher)

Question 4

Predictors are many…/risk factors

Answer 4

• Alcoholism/drug abuse
• Infidelity
• Incompatibility
• Physical/emotional abuse
• Disagreements over finances
• Poor communication
• Poor conflict resolution skills
• Lack of commitment
• Perceived inequality
• Age at marriage
• Cohabitation
• Second & Subsequent Marriages
• Parental Divorce
• Childbearing
• Family size
• Sex of child
• Stage of Marriage
• Place of Residence
• Religion
• Socioeconomic Status
• Economic cycles
• Sex ratios
• Gender expectations
• Social Integration

Question 5

Global Sex
Ratios

Answer 5

places where women outnumber man > resourecs are important > for men to attract women they must have resources> to keep the women they make women economically dependent

places where man outnumber women > attraction is important > for women to attract women must look good > to keep a man they have to look good

conclusion?
-more gender equality/women in the work force : more divorce
-less gender eqauality :less divorge

Question 6

Should we still be concerned?

Answer 6

Assumption: increased
prevalence and decreasing
social stigma = less impact

Findings: adults and children
from divorced families, on
average, experience poorer well-being than their married counterparts

Question 7

Keep in mind…

Answer 7

1. Divorce is a process.
2. Outcomes are context specific.

Question 8

Dissolution
Outcomes

Question 9

Labour Costs

Answer 9

Divorce is negatively correlated with male labor supply

• Divorce can result in short-term labor supply changes as high as 10–20% of pre-divorce labor supply levels
• Unless there is a working spouse pre divorce

For females, the data do not reveal any
significant changes in labor supply

Question 10

Legal Fees

Answer 10

Estimated cost: $1,772 (uncontested)

and $15,306 (contested) (per case)

Question 11

Mental Health

Answer 11

Commonly, individuals show
internalizing problems.

• Depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation
  etc.

Over time, 80–90% recover their
predivorce composure (Rappaport, 2013).

However, some continue to experience conflict for years on end

Question 12

Fathers’
Adjustment

Answer 12

Fathers’ overall adjustment level after divorce is lower than that of custodial
mothers

• The risk of suicide is higher
• Men feel less assisted by social support systems

Question 13

older people divorce

Answer 13

Between 1993 and 2003:
* 34% increase in divorce among adults aged 50 to 54 years;

• 47.8% increase among adults aged 55 to 59;
• 31.7% increase among adults aged 60 to 64; and
• 9.2% increase among adults aged 65+

Late-life divorce has significant health
and financial implications for both
individuals and society (Canham et al., 2014)

Question 14

Disrupted Networks

Answer 14

Divorce also erodes one’s support network

The loss is said to be greater for men than for women, as men typically have a smaller support network
(friends who they can emotionally talk to and rely on)

Divorce can also affect grandparent–grandchild relations as it changes the balance of resources

Divorce also disrupts family links, making it difficult for adult children and grandchildren to spend time
with both parents, especially on holidays.

Question 15

Stressors Change
Over Time

Answer 15

Prior to divorce: involve a growing
dissatisfaction with the marital
relationship

Post-divorce: include a drop in
economic resources, greater
parenting demands on the custodial
parent, and relocation to a new home
and neighborhood

Question 16

Effects on Children

Answer 16

Most children from divorced families are doing as well as their peers from married families

However, as many as 25% , have substantial problems that may be
long-lasting.

• Impulsive behaviour
• More internalizing and externalizing problems
• Even into adulthood

Question 17

Long Term
Effects (Europe)

Answer 17

Meta analysis (54 studies):
Adult children of divorce have
a higher risk of developing a
variety of mental health
conditions (Auersperg et al.

• Depre ssion, anxiety, suicide
  attempts and ideation,
  alcohol, smoking, drugs and
  distress

Question 18

Stay Married for the Kids?

Answer 18

Two waves of data from a national survey of Canadian children (N=4,474).

Compared depression, antisocial behavior, and hyperactivity in children whose parents subsequently divorced and children whose parents remain married.

• Results confirmed significantly worse mental health among children whose parents divorced.
• Differences due to greater socioeconomic disadvantage and more dysfunctional family processes among eventually divorcing households

Question 19

Effects start long
before the divorce

Answer 19

Pre-divorce dysfunctional family relationships are thought to influence child mental health

Question 20

It comes down to conflict

Answer 20

Marital conflict is associated with:

• depression, thoughts about suicide
  and heart disease (in parents)

Discord between parents:
* negatively affects parenting skills

• is associated with child internalizing and externalizing problems

Engaging in conflict:
* Makes parents less available for their children

• While high-conflict divorces are in the statistical minority, they are the most costly in terms of litigation, resources, court time, financial cost,
  and emotional toll on the participants.

Question 21

Violence

Answer 21

A separation may trigger an extended
period of conflict and litigation over
custody and access

40% of women and 32% of men who
were in a former violent marriage or
common-law relationship experienced
violence post-separation

Most research on the impact of divorce shows the greatest harm to children comes from ongoing conflict and violence rather than the divorce

Question 22

All this as a result of divorce, and we haven’t considered cohabitation …

Answer 22

In 2017, 15% of adults 15-64
were in cohabiting unions

• More than twice as likely to
  dissolve than married couples
• In 2021, 52.5% of married couples have children at home compared to 41.5% of cohabiting couples

Question 23

Dissolution can
be positive!

Answer 23

Positive consequences of divorce are more likely for persons who are ending
dysfunctional and stressful marriages

An end to violence can lead to a reduction in emotional and behavioral
problems exhibited by children

Question 24

The Dissolution and Adjustment Process*

Answer 24

• sociohistorical context
• gender
• cultural values
• economic conditions
• legal context
• race

Question 25

What can we do to reduce some of the negative effects of dissolution?