When it comes to divorce, no one wants to be a statistic. But the truth of the matter is, we all are in some form or another, and we can either ignore what the numbers tell us, or we can understand that they are the way they are for a reason. From there, it’s up to us to analyze those reasons for ways to enhance our own relationships.
With any study of numbers, it’s important to note that just because something goes one way more often than not, that doesn’t mean you are doomed (or blessed) with a predetermined outcome. With so much of these, healthy choices can lead to healthy relationships, thus keeping you away from those how to file for divorce manuals.
As a do it yourself divorce service that works to make the process easier for individuals getting divorced, here are some of the things we’ve noticed:
Education
Your level of education can certainly play a role in your marital happiness, but it isn’t necessarily the level of education that you receive that matters — just that you finish what you start. A 2011 study reported by Science Daily showed that women with a college degree and women, who had just earned their high school diploma or GED had equally low chances of divorce, while women, who continued with some education after high school but ultimately dropped out, were more likely to seek a divorce. Lesson: Finish what you start. It can rub off on your marriage.
Race
The same study reported by Science Daily also showed that first-time divorce rates varied greatly between races. Caucasian and Hispanic women had respective divorce rates of 16.3 and 18.1 per 1,000 population. Asian women had the lowest at 10.0 per 1,000, while African-American women had three times the amount at 30.0 per 1,000. Lesson: All races look at the marriage commitment very differently. Learning more about one another, and where we’re coming from can lead to greater understanding and healthier relationships all-around.
Employment
Certain occupations can more easily lead married couples astray. We’ve previously covered this fact in our piece, “Professions Most Likely To Divorce: 6 Offending Jobs And Their Probable Causes.” When you spend too much time apart (or even too much time together), it can cause temptation and burdens that are too unbearable for a marriage to survive.
Faith
Another topic we’ve covered before is the issue of faith and how it can affect a marriage. While many Christians, for example, have a similar divorce rate to everyone else, statistics show that this is largely because of how loosely the term is defined. When couples attend religious ceremonies together several times each month, their chances of divorce go down significantly. Lesson: if you share a faith and are actually devoted to it, you stand a much better chance of staying together.
Number Of Sexual Partners Before Marriage
Academic Jay Teachman, in a study of the National Survey of Family Growth 1995 cycle, which involved over 6500 women, determined that when women had more than one sexual partner prior to marriage, they stood a greater chance for marital disruption than did men. In fact, according to Teachman, as soon as a woman has had more than one partner her long term marital stability risk drops to near 50 percent. It’s doubtful you can set that in stone, but it’s still cause for concern. Lesson: treat sex with a higher level of respect and allow your mind to make the decision before your body takes control.
If you don’t want to find yourself looking for a cheap divorce in 10 years, be mindful of the factors listed above, and remember: there are no absolutes, only statistics. You can always beat the odds, but just be certain that you’ve got a relationship capable of defying the data.