|
Fewer marry, more divorce
County breaks with state statistics on health, family
BY EMILY AYSHFORD eayshford@kenoshanews.com
Kenosha County had a lower marriage rate and a higher divorce rate than surrounding counties and the state in 2005, according to statistics provided by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services.
The county’s marriage rate was 4.9 per 1,000 people, compared to 5.3 in Racine and 6.1 in the state overall. The county’s divorce rate was 4.0 per 1,000 people, compared to 2.3 in Racine and 2.9 in the state overall.
“I’m just stumped,” said Gary Brown, director of Kenosha Area Family and Aging Services. “We’re not Las Vegas, right?”
But the statistics don’t surprise local family therapist Sue Panger, who said she has witnessed an increase in her marriage counseling services.
Panger said she attributes the high divorce rates to higher-than-average alcoholism in Kenosha.
“I think that when one or two parents drink, we have a breakdown of the family,” she said. “I think that children from those families have a very difficult time developing lasting bonds.”
Panger said she also sees a higher tolerance for young people getting pregnant and raising their children without a consistent partner.
“They’re not getting married,” she said. “I think we’re seeing a lot of tolerance for that among kids of all classes.”
Along with 782 marriages, there were about 630 divorces in Kenosha County in 2005, which directly affected 652 children.
Brown said such statistics are a big concern for local kids.
“Divorce is a very stressful experience for everyone involved in it, and there’s just a lot of kids in our community who go through this,” he said.
Brown said that divorce can put more strain on communitybased services.
“I think the schools probably have to deal with more than their share of behavior problems with their kids,” he said. “This is just one indicator about the status of children in the community, and it doesn’t look like kids are quite as well off here because of that.”
Panger said the couples she sees for marriage counseling truly do want to make their marriages work, but up to half eventually decide they can’t succeed.
“Most of the time couples start out with some earnest intent,” she said. “A lot of people have put a lot of energy into trying to make their marriages work.”
In the same vein, Panger said she’s seeing more young couples for pre-marital counseling.
“I think there are younger kids in their late teens and early 20s who are really determined to break with this legacy,” she said. “And this is a positive trend.”
|
