The impact of marital discord on adolescents' psycho-social well-being within the Orthodox Jewish community

Abstract

Marital discord, divorce, parental separation, and being an adolescent of an Agunah can be stigmatizing and lead to social–emotional and behavioral difficulties. The impact of marital discord may be more severe for members of the Orthodox Jewish community, whose culture places significant value and importance on marriage. This study addressed adolescents aged 11–17 whose parents are divorced, separated, or married and their perception of marital discord in the Orthodox Jewish community. The study determined differentiating risk factors between boys and girls and examined the spiritual effect of marital discord on adolescents, particularly given the literature on the pivotal impact of ruptures in attachment and connection on spirituality. The measures used are replicated from extant data from a study on children of Agunot (see glossary). Based on the literature and study completed on children of Agunot, it was anticipated that adolescents of the divorced group would be uniquely vulnerable to a wide range of internalizing and externalizing difficulties. Data were collected from adolescents from divorced, separated, and two-parent homes via surveys to explore the relationship between marital discord and the primary dependent variables. The data indicated that marital discord between parents, although worse for adolescents from divorced homes, greatly impacted adolescents’ emotional well-being, conduct, peer interactions, and spirituality. Some of these effects were more pronounced for boys than girls. The study results will hopefully assist Jewish Orthodox families and students who display concerns due to marital discord, divorce, and parental separation.