Every year Stats NZ release age-specific divorce rates by sex and the above table was released May 2019.
There is something sobering about collating so many stories of tragedy and angst into a neatly defined bar graph.
Sadly the aged 40 + male is well represented with divorce rates peaking at 12.6 per 1000 married couples in the 40 – 44 age bracket.
Ironically society (including other men) will adopt a White Knight Syndrome and choose to rally around a woman after she experiences divorce. Divorced men are often shunned and left to tough it out alone.
While women have many friendships which together act like an extensive emotional support network, a man’s friendships are quite different; they revolve around common interests, activities, competition and work.
A man’s significant other is often the only person that can offer him emotional support and this is abruptly snuffed out well before the divorce process begins.
Now pair that with men being less likely to seek help and you get males feeling isolated and at a much higher risk of depression, suicide and substance abuse than females.
While many men are be consumed by their own mid-life relationship crises; they can seek some token solace that they are not alone – many others are facing the same issues.