Contrary to popular belief, only a minority of divorcing couples experience high conflict and abuse during their marriages. Most divorces occur with couples who have drifted apart and handle everyday disagreements poorly. It is these “average” divorces that research shows are the most harmful to children.

In their study documenting the difference between high conflict and average divorces, sociologists Paul Amato and Alan Booth offer this promising conclusion: “Our results suggest that divorces with the greatest potential to harm children occur in marriages that have the greatest potential for reconciliation.”

But do any parents already in the divorce process still want to save their marriages?....

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Children • Law & Legal Issues • Marriage & Family • Psychology • * Economics, Politics • Politics in General

1. AnglicanFirst wrote: “Most divorces occur with couples who have drifted apart and handle everyday disagreements poorly.” Reconciliation is difficult when one or both parties of a marriage think about “me-me-me” more than they think about making “we-we-we” work or when children are involved consider “me-me-me” to be far more important thean the lifetime welfare of their children. October 29, 7:43 pm | [comment link]

2. robroy wrote: Maggie Gallagher has written about this, too. October 30, 12:46 am | [comment link]

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