Instead, it has continued to rise. America has the largest percentage of single-parent families among the industrialized nations. About 40 percent of the children who live in fatherless homes have not seen their fathers in at least one year. The divorce rate peaked in 1980 and has been inching down slightly since then. Still, America has the highest divorce rate among western nations, and part of the decline in divorce may be attributable to the rise in cohabitation.
Children of divorce display more pathology than do children from intact homes.
Remarriage is rarely the answer. Sixty-two percent of remarriages among women under age 40 also end in divorce. If children are present, the rate is even higher. There are tidbits in this compilation that tell a great deal. The average American watches more than four hours of television per day.