Causes and Consequences of Divorce Among Wolisso Town Community

Abstract

A numberof studies have been carried out on the issue of divorce over the world, but little emphasis had been given on the causes and consequences of divorce on the life of divorced partners and their children especially in Ethiopia. This study is based onevidences from the lived experiences of divorced partnersand assessed the major contributing factors of divorce and consequences on the life of divorced husbands and wives, and their children as well. Twenty five (25) participants were involved in this study from which (17) were divorced husbands andwives, (5) from governmental organizations and (3) elders from local community. The study used qualitative approach mainly phenomenological research approach. Snowball sampling was used to get participants of this study. Interviewswereconducted withdivorcedhusbands and wives, governmental organization workers and elders. Thematicqualitativeanalysis techniquewas employed to analyze the obtained data.Analysis of these findings indicated economic, social, psychological and other life courses asthe major contributing factors of divorce. Moreover, the study revealed that themost marked common consequences of divorce on divorced partners were psychological, physical, financial and social. On the other hand, the major consequences of divorce on children due to the divorce of husbands and wives found to be lackof social support from their parents such as parental interaction and good communication, and feelings of  isolation, loneliness, neglect, low self-esteem and poor communication with others;lack offinancial support for food, clothing, schooling, shelter and routine needs; lack of psychological support in their developmental life, feelings ofanxiety and antisocial/defiant behavior.Therefore, parents should not rush for divorce in the first place; if impossible to live together, there need to be peaceful communication and a feeling of oneness to sustain their relationship and to support their children as well.

Keywords: Causes, consequences of divorce on divorced partners andchildren