As we have leaped into the 21st century, we face a whole new world, especially concerning the breakdown of marriages and families. It is now estimated that one in two marriages will end in divorce. In fact, about one out of every six adults will endure two divorces during their lifetime. (Amato, 2000) With epidemic statistics as such, it truly baffles social scientists as to why such a rise has occurred. The theories behind this increase will be further discussed. It is also very interesting to investigate the psychological, physical, social, and financial consequences of divorce. More importantly, however, is the devastating effects that divorce has on the children, even lapsing over into their own adult life. Before discussing these aspects and their implications, it is crucial to identify the predictors of divorce and the theoretical reasons for such an increase in divorce rates over the last few decades.
Variables associated with the risk of divorce include age at marriage, education, premarital births and conception, religion, parental divorce, and race. (Teachman, 2002) .
Those who get married at age 20 or younger are the greatest age risk, with the numbers leveling off in the mid-twenties. When the wife or husband is significantly older than the other spouse, the chances for divorce increase by 88%. .
The attainment of higher education decreases the probability that women will divorce. Stated differently, the less education a woman has, the more likely they she is to divorce. This indicator does not necessarily hold true for men. .
Regarding premarital conceptions and births, the risk for divorce increases if the marriage was in response to a pregnancy or birth, but even more so for those who bring children from a prior relationship into a marriage. (Timmer & Orbuch, 2001) It seems that the latter may be true because parents enter a marriage with different ideals and expectations.
