Cheaters More Likely to Forgive Cheaters
Posted on December 03, 2013 in Family Law
Research from the U.K. recently found that “warring couples are only half as likely to cite adultery as the cause of marriage breakdown than they were 40 years ago,” according to The Guardian. Bad behavior, especially that which is considered unreasonable, was the leading reason for divorce—47 percent of people surveyed in the recent study. In the 1970s, what was considered unreasonable behavior accounted for only 28 percent of all divorces. “Examples of unreasonable behavior,” according to The Guardian, “include an unsociable husband making his wife feel guilty when she wanted to go out with her friends; a cross-dressing husband who decided to have a sex change; and a spouse withdrawing all the family savings.” 
Despite this, infidelity is still a major factor in the ever-increasing divorce rate, on both sides of the Atlantic. According to InfidelityFacts.com, 53 percent of all marriages in America end in divorce. More than 40 percent of married people surveyed “admit to infidelity, either physical or emotional,” according to InfidelityFacts.com. More men admit to infidelity than women, but not by much—57 percent of men vs. 54 percent of women.
All this research may illuminate how much cheating is going on in American marriages, but not the type of people for whom infidelity leads to divorce. New research published in the Journal of Sexuality and Culture and as reported by the Huffington Post, has found that cheaters are more likely to forgive infidelity than non-cheaters. “Men with cheating experience were most accepting / forgiving of the male cheating characters and women with cheating experience were most accepting / forgiving of the female cheating character,” the authors wrote. If your spouse automatically forgives you for cheating, that is, it could be because he or she has cheated in the past.
If you or someone you know is considering divorce because you suspect your spouse is one of these cheaters, the most important first step is to seek the counsel of a qualified Illinois divorce attorney. Don’t go through it alone. Contact The Law Offices of Douglas B. Warlick & Associates today.
