idelity is often reported by divorcing couples, many couples whose marriage is affected by episodic adultery on the part of one or both partners do not divorce. Still other marriages in which this and other problems (including, tragically, physical and emotional abuse) occur regularly continue to exist (Baron & Byrne, 2000).
Sexual infidelity is a relationship problem that is not limited to any particular ethnic, religious, racial, cultural or socioeconomic group within American society. There is evidence reported by Sabogal. Faigeles and Catania (1993), for example, indicating that among Hispanic-Americans, while males tend to have more sexual partners in and out of marriage than women, this situation is changing as more and more Hispanic-American females elect to become sexually active before marriage and outside of the marital or partnership relationship. Baron and Byrne (2000) and Perrucci and Knudsen (1990) commented that male sexual infidelity is often more tolerated (if not accepted or taken for granted) among cultures that are traditional and conservative; such cultures place a high value on female fidelity and a lower value on male fidelity. Nevertheless, Baron and Byrne (2000) also stated that as American culture becomes more homogenized in terms of social behaviors, these differences are declining; consequently, as other researchers have pointed out, pre-marital and extra-marital sex can be observed among virtually all subgroups within American society (Grafe & Lickter, 2002).
Indeed, Grafe and Lichter (2002) reported that among groups in which non-marital child-bearing is commonplace, there is a strong association between a pre-marital pregnancy, later marriage, and the likelihood of a subsequent divorce. These researchers did not find any significant correlation between extra-marital sexual activity and divorce among couples for whom marriage comes after a child is born.
An article in Rand Review (For bett...