Survey: Abuse, money prompt most divorces

Women divorce over abuse; men divorce over sex, a new GfK Roper poll commissioned by divorce360.com says.

Women are more than twice as likely as men (48 percent vs. 21 percent) to divorce because of verbal or physical abuse, the poll says. Men, in turn, are more than twice as likely as women (22 percent vs. 11 percent) to cite sex as the cause for their failed marriage. Overall, those polled said they divorced because of:

--Abuse: 36 percent
--Money: 22 percent
--Someone new entered their life: 18 percent
--Sex: 16 percent
--Disagreements over how to raise their children: 13 percent
--Boredom: 12 percent
--Whether to have children: 6 percent
--Religion: 4 percent
--Money: 22 percent

The poll surveyed 1,569 people and has a 2.6 percent margin of error.

Top Brit celeb single parents: Geldof, Fergie

Singer-activist Bob Geldof and royal Sarah Ferguson topped the list of celebrity single parents that British single parents could most relate to, according to a poll released today by SingleParentFun.com.

Geldof is father to three girls, ages 24 to 17, including Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches Honeyblossom and Little Pixie. Fergie is mom to the princesses Beatrice, 19, and Eugenie, 17.

Other celeb single parents who ranked as relatable included TV host Gail Porter, pop singer Mel B and reality show star Jade Goody. Respondents rated celeb single parents highest for their “triumph over adversity,” having good relationships with their kids, and being good role models.

The poll also revealed that:

--Perception of single parents: 83 percent felt the public’s perception has changed in a positive way over the past 10 years;

--Dating: 40 percent said they don’t date; 56 percent said they wouldn’t consider dating because their children wouldn’t be happy about it; and 58 percent said their longest relationship as single parents had lasted less than six months.

--Assistance: 58 percent said the British government could do more to support them financially; 31 percent felt more should be done to better childcare access.

--Employment: 93 percent felt that holiday firms do not cater enough for single parent families.

--Travel: Expense is an issue for 58 percent when arranging holidays and day trips; 13 pe cent said that they didn't go on holidays with the children as they found it too lonely and 14 percent said that any kind of trip with the children was just too stressful to do alone.

--Me time: 22 percent of those polled said they got one to two hours per week with only 15 per cent getting a day to themselves. "We were surprised to find out just how little 'me time' single parents get due to the lack of support structure available,” SingleParentFun.com founder and single dad Gary Spicer said in a press release.

Basics, finance top single parents' '08 concerns

Meeting basic needs and achieving financial stability were top concerns of 2008 for 44 percent of single parents polled by About.com.

Here's how single parents rated top concerns for the coming year:

--Meeting basic needs: 25 percent
--Achieving financial stability: 19 percent
--Raising well-adjusted, happy kids: 17 percent
--Resolving child support issues: 9 percent
--Legal issues pertaining to custody: 15 percent
--Finding relational happiness: 13 percent

Fifty-two people took the online survey.