Years ago, the word divorce used to provoke shrieks and hushed whispers but now it is very much a part of modern day life.
Relationships on Female First
The words ‘til death do us part’ don’t mean as much as they used to as divorces have become much more common.
In 2010 Britain saw its highest divorce rates ever, and as the divorce rate rises, so does the acceptance of divorce.
According to a YouGov study of 2,000 Brits for the DVD release of wedding comedy I Give It A Year, 62 per cent of Brits do not think divorce is a social taboo.
From those asked, only a tiny 4 per cent said that they would strongly believe that divorce is still a taboo.
Relationship expert and Relate counsellor Christine Northam said, “Divorce has become much more familiar in modern life; it’s not the hushed secret it was years ago.
“Most of us have been affected by divorce, whether we’ve gone through it, know someone who has, or have been affected by our parents’ divorce, so the taboo status has lost much of its power.”
Surprisingly, older generation were much more accepting of divorce, probably because they’ve been in relationships longer and know the struggles.
The younger generation are accepting of divorce, in general, but less so than their parents.
Interestingly, the 25-34 year age group are more likely to see divorce as a taboo, probably as they are around the age of getting married themselves.
Christine added, “The generational difference in attitude could be put down to the young couples’ proximity to parental divorce, and an unwillingness to repeat the same mistakes.
“I see younger couples anxious to try fix a relationship, but there are still vast numbers of couples who give up on marriage too quickly before seeking professional help.”