A recent United Kingdom study about divorce rates shows that in the past ten years divorce rates have fallen by 25%. However, the study gathered marriage and divorce data from 1993 and 2010 to find that marriage rates fell as well. This information should not cause alarm; the institution of marriage is not being phased out or abandoned. The researchers believe men are finally getting the hang of committing to their marriages, and they believe men are doing so because they are being more careful about their choice in spouse. The logic behind this reasoning is that men are less inclined to stray and let the marriage break if they are more committed to the spouse and making the marriage work. The result, apparently, is a slight decrease in marriages, and a major decline in divorces.
Since men seem to be putting their wayward tendencies aside, how are the women reacting? Are women running for the hills in disbelief, are they intrigued, or is the situation the same? The situation seems to have changed for the better. The percentage of men applying filing for divorce was discovered to be stable from 1993 to 2010. But the study found that the amount of women applying for divorce in the first three years of marriage has declined by 51% since 1993. Additionally, the amount of women applying for divorce in the first ten years of marriage has gone down by 27%. The cold, hard facts are this: Since 1993, men are making women happier in marriage, and men are keeping women happier.
Sadly, all of that data and information was obtained from a UK study, and involved UK men and women. We on the other side of the pond ponder if American men have somehow caught the commitment fever as well. However, the outlook isn’t very bright on that score in light of a recent UCLA study regarding divorce.
Researchers at UCLA conducted a survey of newlyweds in Los Angeles, asking them about their feelings before the marriage, and their feelings during the marriage every six months for four years. The study found that more marriages ended in divorce when the women experienced second thoughts. Although 47% of men had misgivings about their relationship, compared to 38% of women, 19% of women with misgivings were divorced within four years, while only 14% of men were divorced. Throughout the study, instances of divorce were more likely if the woman had reservations about the marriage.
Although the UCLA divorce study may seem to dwell on the negative, the divorce statistics convey that American’s are looking to their hearts more in choosing who to spend the rest of their lives with, which could never be a bad thing. So while American’s may be continuing to divorce, they are looking for happier marriages to stay in. Now if only American men could follow suit with UK men, divorce would never have to be anyone’s problem.