11 things that make divorce more likely

Pornography is not exactly the most social form of entertainment.

You might presume that indulging in your sordid fantasies with your other half might be a recipe for disaster, eventually winding up in divorce.

In some cases it does.

A study conducted bythe American Sociological Association found that married people who watch porn are twice as likely to separate in the following years of their marriage, with women being three times as likely to divorce.

The study used data from the General Social Survey and included 2000 participants over three time periods - 2006-2010, 2008-2012, or 2010-2014.

The data analysed their marital status, marital happiness and porn consumption.

Some 11 per cent of those people who started watching porn in the first two periods they were interviewed, were divorced the next time they were spoken to.

Perhaps surprisingly the impact of watching porn when married had a more damaging result on women than men.

Sixteen per cent of women who started viewing pornography on their own ended up divorced from their partner.

The studies lead author, Samuel Perry of the University of Oklahoma was surprised at these findings.

He is quoted byTimeas saying:

That’s a bit surprising because everything else I’ve seen on porn use in relationships suggests that men’s marriages are more negatively affected by their porn use, primarily because they’re using it more often for the purposes of masturbation rather than intimacy.

Of course abstaining from pornography will dramatically improve the longevity of a marriage but what other factors are likely to lead to separation.

Gov.uk list five reasons that a person must lawfully give for the reason their marriage has broken down.

They are:

•  Adultery 
•  Unreasonable behaviour (abuse, physical violence, drunkenness, drug addiction, refusing to pay for housekeeping)
•  Desertion 
•  Living apart for more than two years
•  Living apart for at least five years

Those are the legal reasons that someone has to provide in a court of law but Marriage.com has gone into a bit more detail on some of the main reasons that people call it a day and porn isn't one of them.

• Infidelity - Affairs and cheating are never good for a relationship and they can often stem from anger, resentment, lack of intimacy or sexual differences.
• Money - A classic and sadly all too common reason is finances. Spending habits and financial goals are always likely to cause conflicts and stress for couples.
• Breakdown in communication - Good and clear conversations are the foundation of any good relationship. Once that erodes it can be hard to rekindle.
• Arguing - Having good conversations is important but that doesn't including blazing arguments which almost never resolve anything.
• Weight - This might seem a little unfair but when someone starts becoming less physically attractive it can put a strain on that persons spouse.
• Intimacy - Feeling wanted and understood is a great way to maintain a connection to someone. Giving someone a lack of attention or kindness is not a recipe for a lasting marriage.
• Expectations - Everyone has lofty expectations for certain things but we shouldn't pin those on our partners.
• Equality - If one member of the relationship is taking more responsibility than the other it can lead to all sorts of conflicts and a lack of harmony.
• Abuse - This is at the most extreme end of the spectrum but abuse of any kind is not healthy for a relationship.
• Unprepared - Sadly some people just aren't prepared for marriage. Some people get married far too early and usually divorced while they are still in their 20s. Nearly half of all divorces occur in the first 10 years of tieing the knot.

So in order to keep yourself happily married try to avoid those 10 things and any porn.

HT Time

More: The difference in divorce between men and women in 4 charts​