The institution of marriage is one of the fundamental building blocks of our society, embodying the values of commitment, loyalty, trust, and mutual support. However, within the last twenty years, our culture has suffered the disastrous consequences of a massive increase in the rates of divorce. Currently, every state except South Dakota provides some form of no-fault divorce, where couples can divorce for any and all reasons or no reason at all.
Some commentators say that easy, no-fault divorce is to blame.
Some others cite a general lessening of respect for marriage as an institution, as well as the increasing number of adults who were themselves raised by divorced parents. Regardless of the cause, virtually all commentators agree that high divorce rates and high rates of unwed births are a disaster for children, and that easy divorce is not the answer. Casualties of Divorce Nearly everyone agrees that children are the ultimate casualties of divorce. Research has shown that children of divorce or unwed birth fare poorly in comparison to children from intact families. Children who live with only one parent, usually mothers, are six times as likely to be poor as children who live with both parents.