Divorce and Remarriage

4/29/22, 3:44 AM 12.3: The Consequences of Divorce for Spouses and Children

https://revel-ise.pearson.com/courses/61fa77549413c45506a8edcc/pages/urn:pearson:entity:3472e1a0-e452-4b48-99ae-61029d5eb257?source=dashboard 1/1

12.3: The Consequences of Divorce for Spouses and Children Objective: Interpret the consequences of divorce on the family members

The previous section on divorce rates examined divorce in a detached manner, considering divorces in the aggregate rather than as the personal dramas of individuals at the micro level severing the most intimate of relationships. Divorce is an intensely personal event, and this intensity makes the breakup a painful experience, even when both parties want

the marriage to end.

Both of the partners in a divorce are victims. Each is affected, in the typical case, by feelings of loneliness, anger, remorse, guilt, low self-esteem, low levels of psychological well-being, depression, and failure. Although ex-spouses tend to share these negative feelings, the divorce experience differs for husbands and wives in significant ways because of the structure of society and traditional gender roles. This section scrutinizes the personal side of divorce—the consequences for ex-husbands, ex-wives, and their children.