Introduction
The introduction of the no-fault divorce laws by the Canadian government in the late 1960s led to the increase of separation in most marriages. This resulted from changes in employment strength patterns of women. The no-fault divorce laws caused a reduction in the financial well being of the divorced women (Tommasi and Lerulli 98). The no-fault divorce law has had some significant benefits such as encouraging labor participation of married women. Tommasi and Lerulli (99), say that States that have passed the no-fault law have more women who are willing to work than states, which have not implemented the law. Prior to the no-fault divorce law, marriages were based on the level of commitment. In situations where the spouses did not agree, the lack of the no-fault divorce law made one spouse have a higher negotiating power than the other in terms of saving the marriage. The introduction of the no-fault divorce law removed the negotiating power element, which has reduced any incentive that encouraged spouses to make commitments to one another (Parkman 1). Further, the no-fault divorce law has caused a reduction in the welfare of many divorced women and of children of divorced parents (Parkman 2). The effect of the no-fault law is more prevalent in families, which do not experience divorce. Initially, prior to the no-fault divorce law, the law protected the spouse who showed commitment to the family. However, this protection from the law disappeared with the implementation of the no-fault divorce law (Parkman 2). The no-fault divorce law has made both spouses look for alternative means of protecting themselves from the adverse effects that come from divorce. This has caused some of the spouses to make decisions based on their self-interest rather than the interests of the family.
The common method for measuring divorce in Canada is the yearly crude rate. This measures the number of divorces for every 1,000 or 100,000 persons in the population. The rate of divorce in 2005 was 2.2 per 1,000 populations as compared to 2.9 in 1990 and 3.6 in 1987 (Ambert 5). According to Hedican (132), the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador had the lowest divorce rates (22 percent), in 2002. However, in Quebec, the divorce rate in that same year was estimated at 47.6 percent. Social changes occurred after the Second World War. The number of incompetent marriages increased and the change in the divorce law reduced the cost of being married.
Causes of Divorce
Causes of divorce among parents in Canada can be grouped by cultural factors and demographic factors. The cultural factors include secularization of trends that had increased the rate of divorce in the 19th century, individual choice among the people and the end of religious beliefs that marriage is a covenant before God and the passage of the laissez-faire divorce laws (Allen). Canadian couples develop a lower tolerance of marriages, which do not meet their personal expectations. The general trend towards secularization caused a reduction in religious services and fewer priests (Artibise 39). Further, because of the declining moral precepts, there were increased civil weddings, which in turn in increased divorce rates. Divorce has become a socially acceptable trend rather than an issue that cause stigmatization. Marriage initially was an institution, which represented a covenant between God and man but today the ability of an individual to have the choice to leave marriage due to lack of morals has significantly contributed to increased divorce rates. Laws on divorce are not strict and this makes the process of divorce very easy. Further, marriage losing its value in society as a respected institution has encouraged people to seek divorce as a solution to their spousal problems. This is the case in abusive relationships. Additionally, the current trends towards being fulfilled and happy in marriage, rather than for mutual responsibilities, make people more individualistic and focused on themselves, which increases the chances of divorce when one spouse is not happy or fulfilled in the marriage. In marriage, which does not meet the needs of a spouse, the spouse is justified in searching for a new partner who will satisfy his or her needs. The tolerance threshold owing to social trends is low, and even a small issue may cause divorce. For example, a spouse wanting to increase his or her education level may cause one spouse to feel that the one spouse is taking advantage of the other.
The demographic factors include women who were married at a young age to practice a traditional role. It becomes difficult for them to manage their homes, as they are inexperienced in carrying out home chores, giving birth, and nurturing children. Young people who marry are more likely to divorce. According to Hedican (131), the longer a marriage lasts the less likely it is to end in divorce. In Canada, 60 percent of divorces in 2001 and 2002 had not reached their fifteenth anniversary. The chances of a marriage less than five years ending up in a divorce are quite high. This can be attributed to the lack of experience and maturity that comes with a marriage (Ambert 14). The couple divorced especially when a man was found to be impotent or committed adultery. Low incomes for couples negatively influence a family. When there are a high proportion of unmarried women, most married males, are likely to divorce their wives and remarry again. Remarriages increase the chances of divorce, and this is attributed to the complexities of a family formed because of remarriage (Ambert 14). A marital relationship where finances are not easily accessed may experience divorce. Additionally, having wealth in a marital relationship increases a spouse’s focus on obtaining finances rather than building the marital relationship. Divorce affects the children when they become adults as they also opt for divorce. Divorce attributed to parental divorce is common in cases where conflict among the parents is high. Finally, personal reasons like alcoholism and violence push the family apart. Additionally, extramarital affairs have also contributed to increased divorce rates.
According to Celeste, the issue of cohabitation is high in the Canadian province of Quebec. The statistics, in Canada, in the year 2006, show that 68 percent of relationship dissolutions in the Quebec province were cohabitation divisions and 32 percent involved divorces. Most single mothers cohabit as a way of trying to survive the hard economic circumstances. However, this increases the risk for divorce as financial challenges impact relationship negatively.
Consequences of Divorce on Children
The absence of fathers in child nurturing has increased youth crime. Divorce causes the single parent, especially the mothers, to suffer from poverty. When children live in poverty, there is a high chance that they will suffer from emotional and behavioral effects. The child may engage in criminal activities as an avenue of to get money to provide for food at home. The children living in poverty may suffer from emotional disorders and physical aggression, which makes them get involved in altercations in schools and they may even be expelled for such conduct. Divorce denies the child psychosomatic, communal, economic and moral benefits and contributes to the lack of growth and development of a child (Unknown Author). The separation of parents exposes a child to adult tasks before they are ready since mothers are not able to achieve all the needs of the family. This can affect the child and make them quit school or a girl child may become pregnant or opt for abortion. Loneliness that results for both mothers and children causes stress as children become victims of bullying in school and mothers strain for hours to make ends meet. The divorced children receive less attention from their single parents in guidance, supervision, and encouragement. The parents cause misery when they verbally abuse one another in the presence of their children. This results in despair, enmity, and violence among the children as they learn that fights dissolve disagreements. According to Erin, et al., men who were raised up without fathers during their childhood are likely to become absent fathers. Women whose fathers were absent end up having children without fathers. Children adjust differently to divorce based on their gender. Girl children adjust better than a boy child does when the parents’ divorce, while boys adjust better when the parents remarries than girls do (Duek 11). In certain cases, the children may blame themselves for the divorce. Infants react to divorce by a weakening of developmental behaviors such as sleeping, eating, language, and independence. Further, more cases of diabetes in children can be linked to children who have experienced divorce (Stewart and Bretano 108). When they start their pre-school these children appear to be antisocial to others. During their school years, they will show extreme antagonism towards parents and teachers. This can be associated with embarrassment, fear of abandonment, having an irrational hope of reconciliation and fear of what might happen in the future because of the separation (Stewart and Bretano 108).
The children who experience divorce when young grow up into adults who face a variety of problems. It is very common for adults, whose parents divorced, to have children out of wedlock. If they get married, the chances of the marriage ending up in divorce are very high. The levels of education, in most cases for these adults are low, and they may end up walking out of their marriage leaving the mother and child to suffer by themselves.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the change of the law that legalized divorce has led to an increase in the number of inefficient marriages. This has changed the work pattern of the women since they have had to work hard and satisfy their children’s needs. The fathers ‘absence affect the children as they contribute to issues such as behavioral development, and socioeconomic issues like schooling, income and livelihood. This disadvantaged children display the negative behavior like aggressiveness, early marriages, negative relationship towards marriages, and hatred to the parents. The children experience miserable life because of divorce and may end up spoiling their future life because of poverty. Divorce ruins the future of the children as they may not explore their dreams because of experiencing stress. Parents are advised to take the measures and controls that can avoid divorce, as the impact of divorce on children is alarming. This pain should not be overlooked as the children are in high risks in experiencing the unenthusiastic penalty.
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