Divorce: Risk Factors

1. Divorce: Risk Factors Demographic Variables Socioeconomic Higher SES correlates with lower risk of divorce Employment Status Low-status occupation are at higher risk Unemployment increases risk of divorce Wife’s employment increases risk of divorce

2. Demographic Variables Educational Level The higher the educational level, the lower the divorce rate for Whites Level of education has negligible affect on likelihood of divorce for Blacks Women’s education beyond college increases the likelihood of divorce Religious participation Frequency of attendance at religious services is negatively correlated with divorce rates Divorce rates are less to more likely in the following order: Jews, Catholics, mainline Protestants, fundamental denominations, and evangelical non-denominational groups

3. Life Course Factors Age at marriage The younger the age at marriage the greater the likelihood of divorce Premarital pregnancy Tends to increase the likelihood of divorce, especially among adolescents The effect is greater for Whites than Blacks Remarriage Having divorced once increases the likelihood of divorce an additional 25%

4. Life Course Factors Presence of Children Couples with children divorce less frequently than couples with children (however 50-60% of all divorces included children being present) Couples with two children divorce less often than couples with one child Couples with sons divorce less often than couples with daughters Parent’s Divorce A parent’s divorce significantly increases the likelihood of divorce

5. Life Course Factors Cohabitation Cohabitation increases the likelihood of divorce Timing The majority of divorces happen by the 7th yr of marriage, hence the idea of the “7 year itch” 5% of all divorces happen within the first year 66% of all divorces occur by the tenth year of marriage 90% of divorces have occurred by the twentieth year of marriage