Any Pennsylvania parent who has weathered the years when their kids were teens can attest to the tension in the household. While teen boys bring with them their own challenges, most parents agree that the drama and emotion of a teenage girl can set an entire family on edge. Researchers recently looked into the effect of teenagers on family law issues and discovered some surprising correlations.
Data compiled by Dutch registries and analyzed by psychologists found that couples who have daughters are 11.3 percent more likely to divorce when their daughters become teenagers. Teenage sons seem to raise the risk of divorce about 5 percent less than that. Sociologists have bandied about theories concerning the connection. For example, fathers may be more committed to marriages when they have sons, parents may have a subconscious preference for boys or mothers tend to give birth to daughters when they are already in a stressful marriage.
The exception to the rule seems to be with fathers who grew up with sisters in the family. Sociologists theorize that men with sisters have a broader understanding of female behavior and may be more accepting of the emotional shift many young girls experience in their teens. Despite the logic of some of these suppositions, the researchers stress that there is merely a correlation between teenage daughters and divorce, and no causal link.
Nevertheless, parents in Pennsylvania are likely to have many concerns if they find themselves facing divorce. Whether the marriage was strained from the start or was unable to withstand the pressure of teenage children, parents will certainly want to find the most appropriate settlement for child custody and asset division to ensure a secure future. With the assistance of a family law attorney, a parent can find the answers and guidance.
Source: medicalxpress.com, “Parents of teenage daughters more likely to divorce, says study“, Jan Kabatek, David C. Ribar, Sept. 27, 2017
