Divorce begets divorce but not genetically.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

The first study to examine genetics as a culprit in the higher-than-usual divorce rate among children of divorced parents found that the parents' divorce itself, not genes or even problems such as parental substance abuse or delinquency, played a key role in the failed unions. Children of divorced parents are roughly twice as likely to see their relationships end in divorce compared to their peers from intact families.

Brian D'Onofrio, assistant professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University, Bloomington, indicates that, when a host of variables are taken into consideration, such as genetic risks and socioeconomic factors, the actual divorce still accounts for around 66% of the increased risk of divorce faced by children of divorced parents.

"This means the transmission is not due to psychological or substance abuse...