Are Parents of Teenage Daughters More Likely to Divorce?

 Posted on November 30, 2017 in Divorce

For many couples, maintaining a good relationship throughout their marriage requires a great deal of hard work. A variety of factors can affect whether a couple is likely to divorce, including the stress of raising children. A recent study looked at the data surrounding marriages, children’s births, and divorces and found some interesting results.

Daughters Increase the Risk of Divorce

Various studies have shown that parents in the United States whose oldest children are female are slightly more likely to divorce. A recent study found that this is true in other countries as well by examining data from more than two million marriages in the Netherlands over 10 years. According to researchers, divorce is equally likely for parents of boys and girls until children are 12 years old. However, when children are between the ages of 13 and 18, parents are more likely to divorce if their first-born child is a girl.

The data showed that parents of teenage daughters are 5 percent more likely to divorce. When daughters are 15 years old, their parents are 10 percent more likely to divorce. After children reach the age of 19, the chances of divorce once again become equally likely for parents of sons and daughters. While the study looked at Dutch marriages, it found that marriages in the United States followed similar trends.

Causes of Marital Stress

There are a variety of reasons why having teenage daughters may increase the risk of divorce. Parents’ relationships with teen daughters can often be strained, and due to different attitudes about gender roles, parents may disagree about how to raise their children during this time. Scientists have also theorized that mothers in stressful relationships are more likely to give birth to girls.

One interesting detail that the researchers found is that fathers who had sisters while they were growing up did not experience an increased risk of divorce when they had teenage daughters. With more experience relating to teenage girls, these fathers were able to maintain better family relationships, reducing the type of strain that can lead to divorce.

Contact a Barrington Divorce Lawyer

Whatever the reason for stress in a marriage, divorce is often the best option for a family, allowing children to grow up in an environment with less conflict. If you are considering divorce, the compassionate attorneys of A. Traub & Associates can help you understand your rights and advocate for your family’s best interests throughout the process. Contact a Schaumburg divorce attorney at 630-426-0196 to schedule an initial consultation.

Sources:

http://www.futurity.org/teen-daughters-divorce-1558082-2/

https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/teenage-daughters-as-a-risk-of-divorce