- Alexandra Killewald
- Spring/Summer 2014
- Focus-31-1
- Link to foc311g (PDF)
- Link to foc311sup (PDF)
In the United States, about half of first marriages end in divorce, and marital disruption is associated with a host of negative outcomes for both adults and children. In particular, divorce is associated with substantial financial loss and high risk of poverty for women. In part because of these negative financial consequences, parental divorce is associated with negative outcomes for children, including lower cognitive achievement, reduced educational attainment, increased risk of teen pregnancy, and less favorable socioemotional outcomes. It is therefore important to ask what factors work to stabilize or destabilize marriages. In this article, I investigate the role financial circumstances play in couples’ risk of divorce.
Categories
Child Development & Well-Being, Children, Economic Support, Family & Partnering, Family Structure, Financial Security