If the parent remarries, the children's prospects grow worse. They are more likely to be disruptive in school than children of divorce, and girls are 6-40 times more likely to be sexually abused by stepfathers than by biological fathers.

Even more chilling, Fagan and Rector cite dozens of studies showing that many children of divorce become dysfunctional adults: ''Even 30 years after the divorce, negative long-term effects were clearly present in the income, health and behavior of many of the grown offspring.'' They have more failed romantic relationships, a greater number of sexual partners, are 2-3 times as apt to cohabit, are less trusting of fiancés, less giving to them and are twice as likely to divorce.

When both are from divorced homes their risk of divorce is as much as 620 percent higher in early years of marriage. Thus the ''marital instability of one generation is passed on to the next.''

One reason that children of divorce do poorly is that many lose their faith. They worship less frequently which has ''serious consequences because religious practice has been found to have beneficial effects on such factors as physical and mental health, education level, income, virginity, marital stability, crime, addiction and general happiness,'' reports Heritage. ''Church attendance is the most significant predictor of marital stability...lower crime rates, better health and longevity.''