More Siblings Reduce the Risk of Divorce
A recent study has found that the more siblings you have, the less likely you are to divorce. The General Social Study collected data for thirty years (from 1972 to 2012) on more than 57,000 adults. One of its findings was that each sibling a person has, their risk of having a divorce later in life reduces by two percent. This is the first time a study has looked into the possibility of siblings as a factor in the likelihood of divorce.
According to Sociologist Doug Downey of the Ohio State University, “There are a lot of other factors that affect divorce that are more important than how many siblings you had. However, we’re finding that the number of siblings is a factor. Each additional sibling reduces their changes of divorce a little bit.”
The study, however, is not anywhere near conclusive. It comes down to correlation versus causation. For example, it may just be that people who have more siblings are more family-oriented due to growing up in a large family. It makes the results of the General Social Study interesting, but not definitive.
Other leading experts said that while having more siblings may make it more possible for children to gain valuable interpersonal skills, things have changed in the last few decades. Whereas children in the 1950s may have stayed at home and interacted only with their family, that is obviously no longer the case. In today’s modern world, adolescents have the ability to go online and talk to people around the world. It makes it much easier for children to learn interpersonal skills beyond the scope of the traditional home.
Author of the book One and Only also found that school has become the “great equalizer,” making it so that children with siblings and those without are not that much different. Because of their constant interaction with kids their own age, teachers, counselors, and other adults, children without siblings are able to learn conflict management, as well as a host of other social skills. In fact, according to the author, the only reason a children would not learn those skills was if they were an only children who was raised away from other kids.
Still, regardless of whether an only child or one of five, the divorce rate is still sky rocketing in the state of Florida. According to a 2010 article in the Huffington Post, Florida has the eighth highest divorce rate in the entire country. Later in 2011, CNBC published an article stating that Florida has a divorce rate of 4.3 divorces per 1,000 people, with the highest-ranking cities including Orlando, Miami, Tampa, and Panama City.
If you are currently facing a divorce with your spouse, it is important to receive qualified representation from an experienced divorce lawyer in Florida. At John M. Iriye, P.A., we know that this can be a trying time to go through, and we want to make sure that our clients receive the compassionate help that they deserve. If you are interested in talking to a lawyer from our firm, please do not hesitate to contact us today. You can also learn more about how to find a divorce lawyer, the divorce process, and why you should file for a collaborative divorce on our site. For a confidential consultation, just fill out our online form.