The Impact of Parental Divorce on Children's Educational Attainment, Marital Timing, and Likelihood of Divorce

Abstract

This paper argues that parental divorce diminishes the economic and social resources available to children which in turn has negative consequences for childrens educational attainment marital timing marital probability and divorce probability. Based on a combined sample of national data for white respondents only the analysis shows that parental divorce is associated with lower educational attainment and earlier age at marriage for both sexes. Daughters of divorced parents have a higher probability of being divorced. For sons of divorced parents the probability of ever marrying is lower and of divorcing is higher only if they have lower social class backgrounds. (authors)