Marriage and Divorce In America – Getting Better or Worse?

We often hear that divorce rates are skyrocketing and that half of all marriages end in divorce. Recent statistics show the marriage rate in the U.S. as 7.5 per 1,000 of the U.S. population and the divorce rate as 3.6 per 1,000 population.

Each person has an opinion about why this is true. Clergy members, sociologists, medical professionals, lawyers and everyday people all have theories about the reasons. Economic realities, changing family roles, no-fault laws, liberalized sexual attitudes, and changes in religious practices all play a role.

In truth, there is probably no one reason why such a high percentage of marriages dissolve.It is undeniable that this has become and integral part of the scene. Nowadays, most children are raised by single parents. Thus breakups in marriages give people and the community a lot of stress and uncertain feelings.

These days divorces take place due to greediness of the couple in terms of money. Also some of them have problems with their partner’s family. When marriages end, it is no surprise that these are the parts of family life that are the most disrupted.

In these busy times people juggle visitation schedules and shared custody in order to spend quality time with their children. Younger kids are stressed trying to understand what happened and why. Teens may understand the problems all too well and feel divided in loyalties or just overwhelmed. Family members, like grandparents, may add to the strain when they try to help or when they take sides. With legal fees and changing obligations, family finances are likely to be strained in one way or another.

Other commonly stated reasons are incompatibility or irreconcilable differences. These cover a range of situations, from “I changed my mind,” to “I found someone I prefer,” to “I don’t know what I want.” Only the individual husband and wife know exactly what these really mean.

With so many families broken, it is interesting to ask why so many people still get married. Finding a life partner remains a major goal for most people. Even in the current down economy, the bridal industry is thriving. Even if they have been living together for many years that still have a desire to be married. We admire long-lasting marriages and we speak admirably of people who demonstrate close family relationships. Contrary to most statistics, Americans continue to believe in marriage.