Commenting on measures to better support divorcing couples and their children, SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan said forcing couples to linger in unhappy marriages could be “more damaging”. Bickering couples would give marriage a bad name and cause their children to suffer, she said. And with longer lifespans, it is unrealistic to expect people to stick with a specific partner for 50 years or more, especially if they made those commitments at a young age, she added. “The fact that those in unhappy unions want to be given the chance to start again, and to have a second chance at marriage is testament to the valorisation of what marriage means to them,” said Prof Straughan. She suggested stepping up marriage preparation programmes and to avoid rushing young couples into marriage.
