Social Impact of Divorce, Essay Example

Often, a divorce follows years of stress and tension between a couple, and in some cases, overt hostility, anger and even violence.  In such situations, finally ending such a toxic union can provide much relief for both parties as well as for the children in the environment.  Ideally, every home with children should contain two happy parents, but when that is not the case, the next best option is for the children to be around one happy parent, and possibly seeing the other parent in another setting but who is also feeling more content. Another positive aspect of divorce is the development of self sufficiency for each party

A significant negative effect of divorce is financial hardship for all involved.  Depression often occurs in family members since divorce represents a significant loss not unlike a death.  Children nearly always want their parents to stay together even when the household contains much misery, and so there are often the adjustment problems, both behavioral and emotional, for the children.  For parents, the whole issue of how to socialize as a newly single person can be extremely complex and disarming, especially if the couple has been together for a long time.  Beginning to date again can be quite intimidating and frustrating.

When a marriage is in trouble, counseling can be a very useful tool to help determine whether or not staying together is possible or even the most desirable outcome.

There are gender differences regarding the impact of divorce.  Prior to becoming divorced, women tend to experience more stress since they’re typically more aware when a relationship is in trouble than men are.  Men have a harder time after the divorce because they are less likely to utilize a support network to talk about their feelings whereas women typically turn to friends and other supports to help them through the transition.