Marital Disruption and the Lives of Children

This article uses survey data on marital history and divorce statistics to estimate the proportion of children affected by marital disruption. Over the century, about 25–30% of all children experienced a marital disruption; in the next few decades, perhaps 40% of all children will be affected. These large numbers raise questions about how best to meet the special needs of the affected children. A review of the literature suggests that opposition to divorce reform “for the sake of the children” cannot be justified, and an examination of the economic problems of single‐parent families leads to proposals for income support.