"For Better and for Worse, or Until..": On Divorce and Guilt

Feelings of guilt that are related to divorce are little studied. In this study, moral guilt related to divorce was analyzed along with divorcees' feelings of guilt and the ways of making the other feel guilty. The focus is especially on the guilt related to the spouse and children. Divorcees' feelings of guilt were studied through a questionnaire mailed to participants in spring 2008: The data included 535 questionnaires (224 from men and 311 from women). For this study, the respondents' answers to the question about guilt and shame were analyzed with data-driven content analysis, which was complemented with the quantitative data received from relevant structured questions. The research helps in understanding the wide range of feelings of guilt in divorcing couples and especially in the ones who apply for the divorce.