First
Constructive Prima Facie Essay
Introduction:
Research confirms that divorce not only threatens the well-being of the family members involved, but divorce
also has societal ramifications. Part of the personal and societal ramifications
are economical. Divorce, it turns out, is costly for the public as well as for
individuals. Research is beginning to produce evidence that government
intervention in the form of premarital education produces higher
marital success with lower divorce rates.
Thesis
Statement:
Therefore,
the State of Utah should enact a premarital education policy since divorce has
a societal impact as well as individual consequences.
There
are economical societal cost related to divorce that warrants government intervention.
A Utah State University study “conservatively estimated that divorce in the
United States costs the government more than $33 billion a year” in the form of
Medicaid, child support enforcement, assistance for needy families and other
government programs. The cost to Utah’s government in 2001 was more than $125
million in direct and indirect costs and the cost to the federal government for
Utah’s divorces that same year was estimated to be $175 million. If divorce was
reduced, the burden of societal finances would be reduced. file:///C:/Users/Mike/Downloads/Individual-and-Social-Costs.pdf
Research produces evidence that premarital education reduces divorce
rates. Drs. Scott Stanley and Howard
Markman are directors for the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the
University of Denver. They have worked together
on research for the Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program for over 30
years. Dr. Stanley
and his colleagues have researched and studied couples after the marriage ceremony
and have found that couples who received education prior to marriage significantly
improved the odds of having a good marriage. These couples had better
communication, greater satisfaction, and 50% fewer breakup rates. http://www.smartmarriages.com/8.html
Likewise, a study conducted
in Louisiana following newlywed couples for five years discovered that couples
who participated in premarital education had lower rate of separation and
divorce in the early years of marriage. This study controlled for other factors
that contribute to divorce. http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/marriage-issues-family-law.aspx
Dr. Stanley and his colleagues have also
found that a lack of communication and conflict
management skill are predictive to the success or failure of a marriage. They claim that “it is not how much couples love each other, but how they handle
conflict that best predicts future marital distress or divorce”.
Premarital Education teaches the skills conducive for successful marriages.
According
to the National Conference of State Legislature, states are beginning to look
at ways to initiate premarital counseling or education. Scientific evidence suggests that formal premarital
education can improve marital relationships and prevent unnecessary divorces. Requiring couples
to participate in premarital education would help couples learn conflict and communication
skills, and gain the knowledge necessary to develop successful marriages. Potentially
decreasing the divorce rate and reducing the individual and societal impact of
divorce in Utah. Therefore, it is proposed that the State of Utah enact a
premarital education policy since divorce has a societal impact as well as
individual consequences. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/galtime/premarital-counseling-the_b_3542952.html
