Divorce Rate

There are many statistics that reflect the rising growth of divorces amongst married couples. Some websites and authorities on divorce rates actually list the divorce rate percentages of many countries. These percentages vary between 70% to under 10%.

Divorce is a legal separation or dissolution of a marriage between two individuals. Divorce proceedings are not specific to certain cultures or countries. In addition, individually speaking, a person’s religious beliefs, ethnicity, social standing, etc. does not make a couple’s marital union safe from the discord of divorce.

To avoid being part of the growing divorce rate, it is important that couples work at their marriage to main the strength of their union. Two specific areas that can cause marital strife, if not given the proper attention, are in the areas of communication and money. Therefore, to avoid being a statistical part of the divorce rate it is important to develop these two key areas in a relationship.

Communication is a cornerstone in building a successful relationship. Communication between married couples can be defined as the sharing of thoughts, feelings, a touch, a look, etc.

In addition to these features of communication another important component of a successful marriage is listening to one another. This listening aspect of communication is a multi-faceted discipline to ensure that the marriage does not become another statistic that adds to the divorce rate.

Listening can be defined as the full attention given to the spouse when they are speaking. In order to perform this discipline properly, it is important not to formulate your response before the marital partner has finished their thought. Also, listening accepts the individual’s thought and does not place a judgment on that expression. The listening partner simply accepts that thought and thereby honors the expression of their partner. In addition, a listening skill that is developed hears not only what the other person is saying, but what the marital partner is not saying.

Money

An additional area in a marriage that can negatively impact the relationship and add to the divorce rate is the handling of money or finances in the home. Often partners hide money, spend excessively, or don’t spend at all. Also, there may be incidences where either partner spends impulsively with secret credit cards. These actions can not only negatively impact the finances of the couple, but can lead to significant financial problems.

Of course, the core issue is not so much the money that is spent, but speaks to a trust issue. If there is considerable secrecy surrounding the finances between a married couple the trust between the two individuals erodes. This resulting erosion eats at the trust fibers between the couple resulting in mistrust and the nagging questions.

Divorce laws vary from state to state and country to country. Even within Europe there are vast differences in the laws. It would appear that there are direct correlations between the frequency of divorce, the divorce rate, and the ease of which a divorce may occur. This may not be a good thing, as divorce rates in some developing nations are low because the concept of a woman rejecting the man chosen for them is not acceptable. What is not often discussed is that the divorce rate in civilized societies has remained stable, although not the same, for many years.

European Divorce Rates

In Europe, twenty-two nations participate in the Commission for European Family Law. Many of these countries have mandatory waiting periods before a divorce is final and even some have mandatory counseling that must be attended prior to finalization. Both of these factors may contribute to the reduction of the divorce rate in Europe, as compared to the United States. In addition, it may be that much of the mainland Europe is Catholic or Orthodox Christian in their upbringing and beliefs. In such societies divorce is considered a last resort, and not the solution to a series of seemingly minor disagreements and dissatisfaction with the relationship. Divorce rates in countries such as Italy are historically lower than in the rest of Europe.

Rate Computation

Unfortunately, in most countries the divorce rate calculations do not include legal separations, or multiple family marriages, or partnerships where there is no correlation to the real-life situation. Calculation of divorce rates in the developing nations most likely does not include the correct data. It is highly probable that not all of the African nations have an accurate method of reporting on the divorce rates, other than in certain more populous locations. In many of these countries, marriage and divorce are not used in the same way that the western world uses the terms. Therefore, relationships or partnerships are entered into and dissolved much more frequently, and without ceremony or legal interaction.

Statistics and Life

The divorce rate is one of those overused statistics that attempts to describe the condition of a society. As we all know, individuals are not statistics. Divorce rates in particular do not represent the state of a nation. All statistics such as birth rate, death rate and the divorce rate should be considered only within context. Context could include whether the country is at war, the regional climate and major events that may have influenced any of these particular rating systems.