Falling Divorce Rates: Does It Mean Anything, Anything at All?
Divorce rates hit an all time high in 1981. According to a recent article on the CNN website, rates are continuing to drop. But there are differences in opinion as to what really is going on in American families.
Several theories exist:
- Divorce rates are down because less people get married. Rather, they live together. In fact, the number of couples living together has increased by a factor of 10 since 1960.
- Divorce rates are falling in couples who are college educated. The rationale being that in such families both parties may work, reducing financial stress, and allowing the couples to remain married.
- In some areas, the stigma of being divorced has increased. Couples in these areas may be working harder to stay married.
One thing to think about is that it doesn't matter to the children whether their parents are married or just live together when they split. Either way, the children suffer the loss of their family.
