LDS Research on the effects of Divorce (Divorce debate: Does it run in the family?)
Kansas City KS Star 22Sep99 N6
By Karen Uhlenhuth: The Kansas City Star

In an article covering divorce rates and the debate about its tendency to follow in families, Uhlenhuth mentions a forthcoming Ensign article by BYU professor Elaine Walton. Walton has researched the effects of divorce on the marriages of children affected by divorce. She says that children of divorced parents "experience some fear and distrust" about marriage.

"Trust was a big issue in their [Walton's subjects] dating relationships and in general. They were more likely to terminate dating relationships, so they were short-term. They were afraid of getting hurt, afraid of making a mistake. One of them mentioned that ... when a dating relationship looked like it was developing into something serious, she'd cut it off," says Walton.

However, Walton also found an upside to her subject's experiences, "The upside is that this fear and distrust made them more careful. They knew marriage wouldn't be a piece of cake. Several of them mentioned that they were really afraid a happy marriage was not possible. They would all say in the next breath that they really wanted a happy marriage."

Walton continues, "I was surprised at the number that went into therapy or took classes to learn about communication. When they got married or into a long-term relationship, they did it with their eyes open, after lot of study and careful deliberation."