DAD.info
Forum - Ask questions. Get answers.

Thanks for joining us on the forum – glad to have you here. You are welcome to post 24/7 but please note that whilst we have forum moderators we will only be moderating the forum during office hours. If though you need urgent crisis help, please contact Samaritans on 116 123.

Spurgeons and Dad.Info doesn’t investigate reports of abuse or neglect. But below, you can find advice on who to contact if you have concerns about a child or young person.

 

Reporting a concern

It can be difficult to know what to do if you think a child is at risk. It’s important to remember that if you’ve spotted things that don’t seem right, others will have too. Speaking up can make sure that child gets help as soon as possible.

 

The sooner you contact your local children’s social care duty team, the quicker they can act. They’re available 24 hours a day, and can make an anonymous report if that feels safer. If a child is in immediate danger, please call the police straight away by dialling 999.

 

Report child abuse or neglect to your local council

Use these links to get in touch with your local council:

Talking about divor...
 
Notifications
Clear all

[Solved] Talking about divorce being contagious?

 
(@HoodWink)
Eminent Member Registered

There's a news article ( http://www.dadtalk.co.uk/families-and-relationships-news/is-divorce-contagious ) on the DadTalk front page today, taken from the Daily Mail. The story has been in several news outlets over the past week - it's all about the 'contagiousness' of divorce.

Here's an excerpt:

Researchers have discovered that divorce is catching and spreads like a disease through families, workplaces and groups of friends.
The domino effect means that if an immediate friend or colleague splits up, your own chance of divorce increases by 75 per cent.
Even the break-up of a friend-of-a-friend's marriage boosts your chances of divorce by a third, scientists say.
The researchers describe the effect as 'divorce clustering' - and believe that break-ups within friendship groups force couples to start questioning their own relationships.

We've seen several of our friends' marriages fall apart over the last two years. It may or may not be a coincidence, but most of the separations have been instigated by the wives.

For us, it's almost had the opposite effect of what the article suggests - we've had several talks about our relationship, re-stating our commitment to one another and becoming more vigilant about protecting our marriage.

What do you think? What has been your experience of divorce and separation within your group of friends, or even your family? What kind of effect has it had on your own relationship? Do you think divorce is contagious?

Quote
Topic starter Posted : 08/07/2010 4:07 pm
(@dadmod4)
Illustrious Member

I believe it is 'contagious' - generally, if a marriage is breaking down, then after the separation and a settling down period, then both parties are going to bounce back and do all the things that the perceived that they couldn't do when they were married, and generally seem much happier. Any couple who are friends and whose marriage may not be too happy, will see their newly divorced friends having a good time and this will make them question their own marriage more. Some will stay married, but some will split up, and this adds to the statistics of breakups occurring in clusters.

ReplyQuote
Posted : 08/07/2010 10:01 pm
(@RatsoIII)
Estimable Member Registered

All relationships have their highs and lows. Sometimes it's hard work keeping it all together. Sometimes it feels like it's just meant to be and nothing could shake it. Sometimes it's just wrong; we make mistakes and we need to run (hopefully in this last case, we work it out before children and before too much commitment).

When we get married, we make a massive commitment; to ourselves, to each other, to some deity (depending on belief system), to social norms, ...and so forth. Breaking that contract is not something that we would do lightly. But when people around us, especially if they are close, important people who we look up to and respect, when they divorce ...it becomes a little bit more acceptable.

I'm not sure that 'contagious' is the right word, but I can see and understand a connection.

ReplyQuote
Posted : 09/07/2010 1:39 am
Share:

Pin It on Pinterest