ADOLESCENTS ATTITUDES TOWARD MARRIAGE AND MARITAL PROSPECTS AFTER PARENTAL DIVORCE - A REVIEW

Studies of the long-term influence of parental divorce on adolescents' attitudes toward marriage and actual marriage patterns are reviewed I f is suggested that certain circumstances of parental divorce are asso ciated with more negative views of marriage (particularly if divorce i s associated with parental conflict and deteriorating parent-child rel ationships). However, it is likely that parental divorce has the oppos ite indirect effect af increasing the likelihood of early marriage for some children of divorce via lowered educational prospects and subseq uently reduced socioeconomic status, early home-leaving, leaving and e arlier involvement in heterosexual relationships. Possible alternative reasons for these divergent trends in attitudes toward marriage and m arital prospects of children of divorce are discussed First, whether s ome adolescents hold negative attitudes toward marriage and remain sin gle, whereas others marry early; second whether initially negative att itudes toward marriage change as a result of the adolescent's experien ce of heterosexual relationships and entry into adulthood.