Divorce

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Divorce

• The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

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Divorce Rates in the U.S. 50

• Canada 48
• Japan 27
• UK 13.9
• Australia 40
• India 10
• Singapore 10

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Divorce Rates in the United States

• 41 of first marriages end in divorce
• 60 of second marriages
• 73 of third marriages
• Alabamas divorce rate is one third higher than
  the U.S. average. It is the sixth highest in the
  nation.

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Reasons People Divorce

• Financial Issues
• Incompatibility of personality
• Communication problems
• Abuse
• Drugs or Alcoholism
• Authoritarianism
• Selfishness
• Differing Values

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Grounds for Divorce

• Impotency.
• Adultery.
• Desertion for more than one year or separation
  for more than three years.
• Failure to provide the necessities of life.
• Habitually drunk.
• Conviction of a felony.
• Mental or physical cruelty.
• Permanent incurable insanity.

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Effects of Divorce on Age of Children

• Preschoolers Fear of abandonment, sleep
  disturbances.
• Young Childhood Fear of being displaced, grief,
  school difficulties, fear for well being of
  absent parent.
• Older Children Acting out, fight with parent,
  spying for the other parent.
• Adolescent Fear of own relationship failure,
  independence, promiscuous-type behavior could
  increase.

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Children and Divorce

• Who deals better? Younger or older? Boy or girl?
• Do children feel anger, guilt, blame?
• Are there things parents should not discuss about
  the divorce with their children?

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Impact on Children

• Self-Concept?
• School Performance?
• Peer Relationships?
• Dating-Marriage?

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Six Tasks for Children

• Acknowledge parental separation.
• Disengage from parents conflict.
• Resolution to loss of familiar parental
  relationships and routines.
• Resolution of anger and self-blame.
• Accepting finality of divorce.
• Achieving realistic expectations for later
  relationship success.

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• End