Insecure Spouses More Likely to be Unfaithful
Posted on November 19, 2013 in Family Law
While there are many reasons that the divorce rate in modern society is high, one factor has remained constant throughout the modern age: infidelity. Infidelity may no longer be the number one reason for divorce—recent studies point to financial arguments and arguing in general as contributing to more divorces than infidelity—but it’s still a force to be reckoned with in many marriages. According to InfidelityFacts.com, 41 percent of people polled admit to marital infidelity, either emotional or physical. The percentage is slightly higher for men than for women: 57 percent of men “admit to committing infidelity in any relationship they’ve had,” compared to 54 percent of women. The average length of an affair, reports InfidelityFacts.com, is two years, which is likely the magic number for how long an affair can be conducted without the other spouse finding out about it. Not all infidelity is committed over a long period of time, however. More than 35 percent of men and women polled say that they cheat while on a business trip—which is more likely to have been a one-time event. 
All this goes to say that infidelity is common. If you’re concerned about infidelity, there are some warning signs you can watch for. A recent study published earlier this year in the Journal of Family Psychology and recently reported upon in the Huffington Post, states that, “spouses who are insecure about their partner’s commitment are more likely to be unfaithful.” The study, headed by Florida State psychologist V. Michelle Russell “found that couples in which one or more partners exhibited signs of ‘anxious attachment’—meaning they feared abandonment and acted clingy as a result—were more likely to stray outside the marriage, compared to spouses who were confident in their relationship.”
The findings may go against conventional understanding of marriage, in that the person who is most afraid of the marriage ending is the one actively taking steps toward making it happen. Psychologically, however, it makes sense. Russell told the Huffington Post that, “individuals high in attachment anxiety tend to feel that their needs for intimacy are not being met in their current relationships and use sex to meet their unmet needs.”
If you or someone you know suspects your spouse of infidelity and are considering divorce because of it, don’t go through it alone. Contact an experienced Geneva family law attorney today.
