Divorce has profoundly negative effects on children. Compared to children from intact homes, children of divorce are far more likely to struggle academically, engage in drug and alcohol use and other high-risk behaviors, commit suicide, experience psychiatric problems, and live in poverty. 2 Thirty years of research now conclusively shows that divorce is harmful to children in virtually every measure. A recently released 25-year longitudinal study of children whose parents divorced in the 1970 s revealed that as adults, these children continued to struggle emotionally and relationally as a result of their parents' divorce. They consistently experience expectations of failure, fear of loss, fear of change, and fear of conflict.
Divorce is expensive for the state.
As mentioned above, divorce results in more children on welfare and in need of additional resources. Divorced children are also three times more likely to be incarcerated as juvenile offenders than children from intact families. 4 Children from divorced homes are more likely to engage in early sexual activity, resulting in higher teenage pregnancy rates and concurrent need for more health resources. In addition, repeated custody, child support, and property disputes and revisions require valuable court resources. In fact, economic factors were largely responsible for Oklahoma s decision to implement policies that would strengthen marriage and reduce divorce in that state.