Has The Divorce Revolution Failed?

By Author: James Walsh
Total Articles: 68
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Decades earlier, women were exploited in marital relationships and were subjected to abuse. During those trying times, divorce was the only gateway for women to escape from the acrimonious relationship they were enduring. That was the beginning of the Divorce Revolution.

History of Divorce

Earlier, women did not have right to speak out about the ill treatment and exploitation meted out to her by her spouse. A man could exploit his wife, use her assets at his will and could get away with even adultery.

Also, a woman was not normally granted divorce even if her husband abused her. The legal system did not prosecute the husband; rather, it made sure that she stayed with him despite all her problems. Thankfully, the divorce law was restructured in 1857 to ensure equal rights to women.

Current Trends

While the divorce laws were rewritten to improve the situation of the women, it has eased the process of divorce. This has made people take advantage of the law. Today, the divorce culture is catching on quickly and people resort to divorce even for a minor difference of opinion.

The ...
... Divorce Revolution has paved the way for men and women to break the marital bond without much trouble and change their life partners at their will. The Divorce Revolution has not only brought a major change in society, but has brought about a negative change in the life of children as well.

Effects of Divorce on Children

Children are worst affected by divorce. That could be the reason why a survey taken among children and young people indicate that they prefer the eradication of divorce laws.

A divorce can have the following effect on children:

Emotional Threats

Children are affected emotionally and hence develop low self esteem and feelings of inferiority.

All their mental and physical activities are affected including their behaviour and relationship with friends.

Divorced parents, who tend to remarry, forget the after-effects of their new marriage. Many children are not comfortable with their new stepparent and tend to remain aloof from their family or run away.

Financial Drawbacks

The financial constraints bought about by divorce can affect the future of a child.

Some people do not pay child maintenance regularly. Hence, the custodial parent would be unable to meet the expenses of the children. When their basic demands are being suddenly turned down, the children might find it difficult to cope up with the situation. This can lead to depression.

The custodial parent might not be able to afford children's education. This leads to school and college dropouts.

Cultural change

The increase in divorce rates shows the vast change in society. Instead of resorting to divorce under extreme conditions, people have started to opt for it for convenience.

Marriage is a ritual followed by every culture in the world and divorce was later introduced to stop the ill treatment meted out to women. But, over the years, the divorce revolution has eroded the value and faith in marriage, leading to a cultural disaster.

Witnessing the divorce of their parents, children tend to lose faith in marriage and this has led to an increase in cohabitation.

The Divorce Revolution which was started to bring a positive change in society instead, brought about a reverse effect. The possible reasons for a cultural change due to the divorce revolution are:

People's attitude towards marriage has changed.

Tolerance in relationships has reduced.

Love and intimacy in marriages are lost especially when the divorce is fought out in the court.

Introduction of lenient divorce laws such as no-fault divorce provides an easy way to end the marriage.

Instead of raising their standards to face family responsibilities and commitments, people tend to escape from the problems through marriage.

It has provided an opportunity to claim high alimony and get rich with the ex's hard earned money.

Easy remarriages make people opt for a new partner without a second thought.

The Last Word

The idea of divorce started with the aim of liberating women from ill treatment and exploitation. But in the course of time, the divorce revolution began to have a negative impact on society.

Both men and women have taken advantage of divorce laws since it has become simple for couples to break up their marital relationship for their convenience. Also, women have started taking the laws for granted, misunderstanding the very concept of liberalisation.

To that extent, it would be right to say that the Divorce Revolution has failed as the original intent of it being a recourse for abused wives is no longer valid today.

James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you would like more information on how to get a quickie Divorce see http://www.quickie-divorce.com