Divorce is not always about broken homes and miserable children, according to a new study of 160 Boston-area families published in a book by researchers from University of Michigan, Boston University, Radcliffe College and University of the South.
“Divorce is an inevitable outcome in some family situations, and there can be positive outcomes in the process,” says Janet Malley, senior research associate at Radcliffe and co-author of “Separating Together: How Divorce Transforms Families” (Guilford Publications, $36.95). “It can relieve kids from a negative situation and give parents an opportunity for a better life without conflict.”
Still, dangerous myths accompany divorce, according to Abigail Stewart, principal investigator of the study, professor of psychology and women’s studies, and director of the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Myths that are not supported by the results of this new study of families in the general population include the belief that divorce happens because parents don’t care about the children’s well-being and that children are always miserable afterwards. Another myth disproven in the study was that regular visits with the non-custodial parent are helpful.
“It’s not that divorce is always bad for families,” says Malley. “People do adjust.”
