Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Internewscast Journal
  • Home
  • US News
  • Local News
  • Health
  • People
  • Guest Post
  • Support Our Cause
Home Local news Study Reveals Children of Divorce in the US Face Lower Earnings and Higher Risks of Teen Births and Incarceration
  • Local news

Study Reveals Children of Divorce in the US Face Lower Earnings and Higher Risks of Teen Births and Incarceration

    US children of divorce have reduced earnings, increased chances of teen births and jail, study says
    Up next
    A courtroom sketch of Erin Patterson.
    “Protester Disrupts Murder Trial with ‘Truth’ Demonstration Over Mushrooms”
    Published on 26 May 2025
    Author
    Internewscast
    Tags
    • and,
    • births,
    • Brandon Hellan,
    • chances,
    • children,
    • divorce,
    • earnings,
    • Have,
    • Increased,
    • jail,
    • Lifestyle,
    • Mike Schneider,
    • reduced,
    • says,
    • study,
    • teen,
    • U.S. news
    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest

    According to a recent study, U.S. children whose parents divorce before the age of 5 tend to earn less as adults and face greater risks of teen pregnancy, incarceration, and early death.

    Post-divorce, families usually experience a significant financial loss as the household income effectively splits in half, leading to a struggle in recovering financially over the following decade. This economic shift often results in families relocating to neighborhoods with fewer economic opportunities, and children are further distanced from the non-custodial parent, as noted by researchers from the University of California, Merced; the U.S. Census Bureau; and the University of Maryland.

    The study identified that the reduction in financial resources, a decline in neighborhood quality, and decreased parental involvement due to distance or increased work obligations contribute to 25% to 60% of the negative effects of divorce on children.

    “These changes in family life reveal that, rather than an isolated legal shock, divorce represents a bundle of treatments — including income loss, neighborhood changes, and family restructuring — each of which might affect children’s outcomes,” the economists wrote.

    Almost a third of American children live through their parents’ divorcing before reaching adulthood, according to the study. Many children of divorce have reached the heights of professional success, including former President Barack Obama and Vice President JD Vance, who lamented that divorce was too easily accessible during a 2021 speech at a Christian high school in California.

    The U.S. divorce rate has been on a decline for the past decade and a half, going from over 10% in 2008 to about 7% in 2022, according to the Census Bureau.

    The economists’ study can’t show the emotional impact of divorce, but some children of divorce said it resonated through adulthood, no matter what age they were when it happened.

    Brandon Hellan, 54, said it took him until his mid-30s before he felt like he could commit to getting married and having children. He thinks his parents’ divorce when he was in his early 20s played a role since it felt at the time like an immense betrayal.

    “I really think my parents’ divorce made me put up these walls and treat relationships like they were rentals, temporary,” said Hellan, who lives in the St. Louis area and wasn’t connected to the study.

    While the study shows the negative impacts of divorce, it can’t show what families’ lives would have been like if parents had stayed together, said Philip Cohen, a University of Maryland sociologist with no ties to the study.

    “Probably nobody can tell better than the parents facing the conditions of the marriage and the opportunity for divorce,” Cohen said. “I believe parents are aware divorce may have harmful consequences for their children, and make difficult judgments about what is in their own best interest, as well as the interest of their children.”

    Previous academic studies reached different conclusions about the impact of divorce on children. Some argued that unhappy marriages harm children by exposing them to conflict between their parents and that, generally, divorce is a better option for both parents and children.

    Other studies said divorce leads to reductions in financial resources, the time parents have to spend with their children and the emotional stability of their offspring. Yet other studies concluded that divorce has a minimal impact one way or another.

    A big shortfall in reaching any conclusions has been a lack of data. But the authors of the new study said they overcame that limitation by linking data from federal tax records, the Social Security Administration and the Census Bureau for all children born in the U.S. between 1988 and 1993. The tax data traced marital histories and income of the parents and the census data provided information about households and outcomes from childhood to adulthood.

    The study compared outcomes among siblings by the amount of time a childhood was spent with divorced parents. It found that children whose parents divorced when they were age 5 or younger had a 13% smaller income by age 27, but there was little or no impact if the child was older than 18 when their parents divorced.

    A parental divorce increased the chances of teen pregnancy if it took place before the child was age 15. But that effect disappeared by age 20, as did the impact of any divorce on the chances of incarceration. There also was no noticeable effect on a child of divorce getting married by age 25, according to the study.

    The impact from divorce was similar across demographic groups, the study found.

    ___

    Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

    Share this @internewscast.com
    FacebookXRedditPinterest
    You May Also Like
    Champaign Library hosts forum to combat youth violence
    • Local news

    Champaign Library Holds Discussion on Reducing Youth Violence

    CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — In Champaign, the community came together Thursday night…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    North Augusta celebrates July 4th with reopening of Living History Park
    • Local news

    Living History Park Reopens as Part of North Augusta’s July 4th Celebration

    NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. ()- Of all the July 4th celebrations Friday, North…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Storm Team 3: Tracking the Tropics this weekend
    • Local news

    Storm Team 3: Monitoring Tropical Activity This Weekend

    This weekend, the primary influence on our weather will be Tropical Depression…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Environmental advocates, Democrats express concerns over Alligator Alcatraz
    • Local news

    Environmentalists and Democrats Voice Concerns About Alligator Alcatraz

    A team of environmental advocates from Florida has initiated a federal lawsuit…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Actor Julian McMahon dies after private battle with cancer
    • Local news

    Actor Julian McMahon Passes Away Following a Private Struggle with Cancer

    Renowned actor Julian McMahon, celebrated for his performances in FBI: Most Wanted,…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    South Carolina’s job market continuing to heat up
    • Local news

    South Carolina’s Job Opportunities on the Rise

    COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – Recent statistics from the South Carolina Department of…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Family Promise receives huge haul of donations
    • Local news

    Family Promise Benefits from Large Donation Collection

    SAVANNAH, Ga. () – Eleven forty-foot boxes of furniture are now in…
    • Internewscast
    • July 4, 2025
    Homer hosts Freedom and Music Festival
    • Local news

    Homer Organizes Festival Celebrating Freedom and Music

    HOMER, Ill. (WCIA) — The Village of Homer held its Freedom and…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    New Jersey man taken away in handcuffs after brawl on Frontier flight to Florida
    • Local news

    New Jersey Man Arrested Following Altercation on Frontier Flight to Florida

    MIAMI, Fla. (WFLA) — On a Sunday, June 29, a physical altercation…
    • Internewscast
    • July 4, 2025

    Texas Flood Leaves 24 Dead, Two Dozen Girls Unaccounted for at Camp

    The Kerr County Sheriff in Texas stated Friday night that flash floods…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Trans athletes face uncertain future after Penn strikes deal with Trump administration
    • Local news

    Uncertain Future for Trans Athletes as Penn Reaches Agreement with Trump Administration

    The University of Pennsylvania’s decision this week to sign an agreement with the…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Mendota man pleads guilty to witness tampering
    • Local news

    Marion Caregiver Found Guilty of Fraud and Identity Theft Against Disabled Adult

    SMYTH COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) — A woman from Marion has been found…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Beloved sitcom star is unrecognizable on rare outing... guess who?
    • News

    Iconic TV star looks completely different on seldom-seen outing… can you identify them?

    A notable sitcom star was briefly spotted on a rare outing in…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Julian McMahon's 'Charmed' co-stars remembers the late actor: 'One of a kind'
    • US

    Julian McMahon’s Former ‘Charmed’ Cast Members Pay Tribute: ‘Truly Unique’

    The women of “Charmed” are remembering their late co-star. Julian McMahon, who…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025

    Multiple Cities Experience Shootings and Fireworks Accident on July Fourth Holiday

    INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (AP) — This year’s Fourth of July holiday saw numerous…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    JSO: Young couple dead after apparent murder-suicide on Jacksonville's Northside
    • US

    Tragic Incident on Jacksonville’s Northside: Young Couple Found Dead in Suspected Murder-Suicide

    JSO Sergeant Highfill mentioned that both individuals were approximately 19-20 years…
    • Internewscast
    • July 5, 2025
    Internewscast Journal
    • Home
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Guest Post
    • Support Our Cause
    Copyright 2023. All Right Reserverd.