Vicki Larson on the Neglect of Divorced Dads

In observance of Father’s Day, Vicki Larson’s 2103 blog in the Huffington Post delves into this unexplored sociological topic of men experiencing divorce. The blog mentions that scholarship widely ignores this topic, focusing instead on how divorce negatively affects children or female spouses, overlooking that men also would have significant reactions to such a devastating event in their lives.

Among many other aspects surrounding this topic, Larson’s article discusses the disadvantages men have in divorce scenarios. According to Larson’s research and argument, women typically have the upper hand and are favored in custody battles. This leads to divorced men spending even less time with their children. Additionally, studies have shown that men tend not to have as many friends or as large of a social network as women do, contributing to a magnified loneliness post-divorce. A common trend can be seen of self-medication, alcoholism, and often a drastic decline in quality of life.

Visit the Huffington Post for Vicki Larson’s 2013 article here