Several years back, I read a story about how a British teenage boy brutally stabbed his teacher to death in front of his horrified classmates. Apparently, the teacher did not allow him to go on a school outing because he had not handed in an assignment.

The 61-year-old teacher was set to retire at the end of the school year. Medics attending the scene stated they had never seen such a brutal attack before.

What caused this extreme rage in a student who did well academically and was liked by classmates?

We may have gotten a clue in one of the dozens of articles written on the horrific crime. His parents had divorced when he was six.

Was this the root of the young man’s rage? We will probably never know for sure. But if studies are correct, it may have been.

Now I realize that many times divorce is forced upon a person. You have no choice. You may not want a divorce, but your spouse does and you have no control over the situation.

There are also situations when divorce is necessary for the safety of the children and other spouse. This is cited about a third of the time.

But today one of the most common reason given for divorce can be summed up in one word, incompatibility.

But there was time, decades back, when people didn’t divorce for the sake of the children. They worked at staying together. But sadly this is often no longer the case.

This is concerning because study after study has revealed the damaging impact that divorce can have on children, particularly boys.

The Christian Post recently reported on a study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research which again revealed the impact divorce has on children.

The study is considered one of the largest of its kind. The researchers followed one million children whose parents had divorced over the past 50 years.

The study, conducted by Andrew Johnson, Maggie Jones, and Nolan Pope, came to some disturbing conclusions:

• Children of divorced parents live an impoverished lifestyle as the average income of a divorced family is half that of a married couple;
• This poverty follows children into adulthood as they earn on average 13% less, than those of non divorced parents, when they are in their late 20s;
• The risk of teenage pregnancy increases by 60% among children of divorced parents;
• The increased risk of dying in childhood is described as “sharp and persistent.” This trend continues as the children of divorced parents grow older, where they have a 45% increased chance of early death;
• The children of divorced parents are also 40% more likely to spend time in jail; and
• They are 50% less likely to attend university or college.

The Bible condemns divorce. In fact, the prophet Malachi writes that God hates divorce:

“For I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with violence,” says the Lord of armies. “So be careful about your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.” (Malachi 2:16 NASV)

In this verse, God also explains why adding that the husband who divorces “covers his garment with violence.”

The Hebrew word “hamas,” translated violence in this verse is used in Genesis in 6: 11, 13 to describe the world as being filled with violence.

Divorce is portrayed as an inherently violent act. Later in this verse it is referred to as an act of treachery.

So while we can have what outwardly appears to be an amicable and even friendly divorce, the verse suggests that beneath the surface, spiritually and emotionally, divorce is violent.

And if studies are any indication, it is the children who often feel the brunt of this.