With one of the very highest divorce rates in the nation, Alaskan children are at higher risk of experiencing the numerous negative impacts of broken homes.

According to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly one-third of Americans born between 1988 and 1993 experienced their parents’ divorce before reaching adulthood, a watershed event for a child that can cause challenges throughout life.

“Before 1950, less than 2% of children lived with a single parent who was divorced, separated or never married. By 2000, nearly 25% did,” the report notes.

It goes on to link parental divorce to higher rates of teen pregnancy, incarceration and mortality, as well as lower income and reduced likelihood of living away from home while attending college.

Alaska has the highest divorce rate nationally, with 10.0 divorces per 1,000 residents aged 15 and older, far exceeding the national average.

Given that Alaska’s divorce rate is consistently among the highest in the country, the impacts of parental separation are potentially much greater in the Last Frontier.

A detailed breakdown by divorcealaska.org – which focuses on Alaska divorce trends – notes that Alaska has the highest divorce rate nationally, with 10.0 divorces per 1,000 residents aged 15 and older, according to 2023 Census Bureau American Community Survey data. This rate far exceeds the national average of 7.6 divorces per 1,000 residents.

The new Census report found that divorce in early childhood reduced children’s income in their mid- to late 20s by 9% to 13%. Additionally, teen birth rates among children of divorce jumped 63% following the split, compared to pre-divorce levels, and the risk of early death (before age 25) increased by 35% to 55% at the time of divorce and remained elevated for at least a decade.

Divorce when children were between ages 5 and 20 increased incarceration risk by 0.15 to 0.28 percentage points.

Unlike some states Alaska has no statewide policies, incentives or official practices specifically designed to strengthen marriages.

Outcomes were worse for children whose parents divorced in early childhood (ages 0-5). Compared to siblings who experienced a parental divorce in adulthood, early-childhood divorce:

— Increased teen births by roughly 60%.

— Increased the likelihood of incarceration by 40%.

— Increased mortality risk at age 25 by 45%.

— Reduced income at age 25 by 9%, and by age 27, by 13%.

According to the Census report, divorce also disrupts key aspects of parenting, such as providing financial investments in education, nutrition, health care and shelter, while reducing personal attention given to children and hindering what researchers call “direct transmission” or the passing on of core values.

In terms of physical separation, the Census report found that the probability of moving nearly tripled after a divorce, and the average distance between children and their nonresident parent increased by 100 miles on average, a gap that widened to over 200 miles after 10 years.

“These changes in family life reveal that, rather than an isolated legal shock, divorce represents a bundle of treatments,” the report states.

Overall divorce rates climbed significantly between 1960 and 1980 as laws changed from fault-based to no-fault divorce. Additionally, the number of Americans who were “never-married” rose from a rate of only 1% in 1965 to 13% by 2000, the report notes.

While a some states, such as Texas, have enacted laws and policies to encourage premarital counseling – offering incentives like reduced marriage license fees for couples who complete courses on communication, conflict resolution, and relationship skills – Alaska has no such statewide policies, incentives or official practices specifically designed to strengthen marriages.

Instead, the state emphasizes post-divorce support, such as mandatory parenting education for divorcing parents. Marriage strengthening initiatives are available in Alaska, but most often occur through churches and private providers – not as state-mandated or incentivized policies.

Alaska does, however, participate in federal programs aimed at strengthening marriages and reducing divorces through grants administered by the U.S. Department of Health. This provides some federal money to groups and tribal entities that offer parenting and marriage classes.

Click here to support Alaska Watchman reporting.