Would Majority Stay in an Unhappy Marriage for the Kids?

Partners should try to do everything they can to repair their relationship and remain married. That was revealed in the course of the survey, held from 10/20/14 to 1/20/15. Meetville (dating app to find the right person) posed the following question: “Should spouses try to save marriage for the sake of children?”

56,888 respondents took part in the poll. From the USA – 66%, from Canada – 4%, from Britain  – 10%, Australia – 6% and other countries – 14%.

Overwhelming majority of people claim that the decision to divorce isn't the right one. This point of view is supported by some experts. Elizabeth Marquardt, author of "Between Two Worlds" states: "The good divorce is an adult-centered vision... No matter what the level of conflict, a divided family often requires children to confront a whole set of challenges that children in married-parent, intact families do not have to face."

Although divorce take a huge toll on kids, it not always causes psychological problems. Robert Emery, director of the Center for Children, Families and the Law at the University of Virginia, points out: "While a great many young people from divorced families report painful memories and ongoing troubles regarding family relationships, the majority are psychologically normal."

Sometimes staying together at any cost may turn out to be a worst-case scenario. Sheri Stritof, marriage expert, >says: “You may find yourselves confused about how much trauma your children will suffer from your possible divorce. Face it. Depending on how you and your spouse handle your divorce and parenting responsibilities, it is safe to say that the future emotional health of your children is at stake whether you divorce or stay together.”

Alex Cusper, Meetville service analyst, thinks that although there’s an opinion that children benefit more from having two happy separate parents, it’s better to save marriage. Any divorce has a huge negative effect on kids. Parents are too busy with their own emotional states after separation that they simply don’t realize that their kids have difficulty going through it.

Meetville, a leading mobile dating service, regularly conducts research among its users. Millions of people from the U.S., Canada, Britain and Australia answer hundreds of questions every month. You can find the results of the poll here. If you are interested in research on a particular topic, please contact us. Any reprint of the material should be followed by clickable links to the survey.