Bellevue Legal News: Seattle Divorce & Domestic Violence Lawyer

New Study: Divorce Can Be A Better Decision For Kids

It’s common to hear someone say that they are staying with their spouse for the sake of their children – but new research is questioning whether or not divorce can help your children in the long run if staying together means continuing to fight and argue.

A new study, conducted by researchers including Constance Gager, examined how the adult children of parents who divorced fared in relationships in comparison to children who grew up in high-conflict homes in which their parents stayed together. The study followed 7,000 couples beginning in 1987 and included interviews with both parents and with children over the age of 10 years. Parents were asked over a span of years to rate how much conflict existed in the marriage, while children aged 18 to 34 were asked how they happy they were in their current relationships. The study found that children who grew up with divorced parents were happier in their own romantic pursuits than the children of parents who argued for years without splitting – even when factoring the individual personalities of the children.

Researchers believe that exposure to parental conflicts has long-term effects on children and how they understand relationships work. Of course, the study does not take into account the short-term effects of divorce on children.

The study also found that the children of happily married couples had more successful and happy relationships, many children of low-conflict families also faced troubles in their own love lives.

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