The Effects of Divorce Essay Example

Divorce in families can lead to serious developments that can easily be detrimental to one’s health.  It can cause problems to any person and no one in the family is safe from what may arise.  Divorce can lead to increased poverty in certain people, and many subcategories have also been prominent in trying to cope with the struggles of trying to stay financially stable after the divorce has occurred, leaving many researchers to desire the promotion of staying together in a marriage. 

Poverty in general has been a very significant factor to problems that extend from not being able to afford the necessities required to live.  A study conducted in 2019 reveals that “34 million Americans are considered impoverished–10.5% of the country’s population” (Fay).  Poverty or those who are impoverished is still a concern when it comes to divorce.  When comparing poverty rates of those who are married versus those who are divorced one would think that those who are divorced would have a higher chance at being in and staying in this category.  This is true, as studies have revealed that “social mobility rates between generations are higher among children who live with their continuously married parents than among those who experience either a family divorce or a long period of single parenthood” (Sawhill). Although this isn’t exactly relatable to my life, my family has fortunately been an exception to this study as my family has been able to keep a relatively decent relationship with each other after the divorce, resulting in my family being able to do what the study said most families go through.  Unfortunately, my situation is not the same for every family, and this is still a prominent issue among divorced individuals that can cause strain on individuals and could even cause suicidal temptations. 

Suicide is another risk that comes from divorce that could negatively impact families, friends, and others that know them greatly.  According to a study, “data showed that, compared to divorced women, divorced men were nine times more likely to die by suicide” (Sullivan). Meaning that for every one female suicide from a divorce, there are nine men who take their own life due to the same factor.  This is a serious issue when it comes to how this can impact not only their families, but perhaps their children.  A study conducted by Columbia University concluded that “parental divorce increased the likelihood of suicide attempt by 14 percent” (Hillin). There are different reasons as to why some people would suspect this to happen, one could be that there is no one to be there for them in this time of need, or to provide solace for them.  This can drive them down a dark path that can be difficult to get out of without anyone there for them.  Although my family never fell into this category, it is easy to see how this can be a grave issue when it comes to how important post-divorce actions can be.  If we let people stay in their homes and stay in a state of depression, it is something that can possibly be triggering these suicidal thoughts.  Doing nothing and watching from the sidelines as things are happening can not only cause a loss of a life, but it could cause someone to feel guilty for not doing anything about it.

Divorce rates in society have been known to be increasing as years continue to pass, and studies have shown that it can cause negative effects on all people present in the family.  For instance, one study shows that “Custodial fathers also experience financial loss; although they tend to recover financially more quickly and rarely receive child support” (Anderson).  This is completely true in my case.  Even though I had around half-and-half custody with my parents when I was going through high school, my father was the one to give child support to my mother, was the one to recover more quickly, and was the one to help repair the family’s financial situation.  Additionally, it can be difficult for most parents to spend time with their children, due to them trying to be able to take care of the bills and other problems that may arise in the household.  There are studies that show that a “child may have a weakened relationship with his/her mother” along with the “child [also possibly having] a weakened relationship with his/her father” (Anderson).  This reveals my point previously stated above and is relatable to my life as my father was working twelve hours a day trying to get his family back on their feet.  This caused me to have a stressed relationship with my father because, although he did try to spend time with me, it was time spent in excess, and we would be doing something different every weekend I was with him.  At first, it was fun, but when we continued to do it, it just made the rift between us even greater, causing me to pull away from him and become closer to my mother. Overall, children who live with their married biological families are shown to have a better outlook and mental health than those who have divorced parents.  

Divorce has been known to be a significant cause to all these issues, which leads people to want to promote staying together in a marriage and focusing on not getting a divorce in the future.  Even though people may think that divorcing would just be easier than staying with someone that is not causing you to feel safe or happy, there are many implications that can come from leaving them and performing actions that may harm them in the future.  Knowing that divorce has been known to cause poverty, increase suicidal risk, and possibly affect rifts between family members, people should look at the bright side of what they have versus the negative outcomes that could appear after making their decision.  Although sociology is new to me, there are many ways that it connects to everyday life and how people can use it to see what could come out of actions that can be seen as positively affecting one’s health.