Why September has become the most popular month to have an affair. Cheaters are more likely to start an affair in September than any other month, according to a new survey. It has overtaken January as the biggest month for adultery.
As September draws to a close, so have many relationships after one study revealed it to be primetime to have an affair.
Women are most likely to cheat on their spouse in years 6-10 of their marriage, while men are more likely to cheat after year 11 of their marriage. (There's even a day of the week when someone is more likely to cheat.) The factors that played the largest role in cheating were gender, religiosity, and marriage length.
Women in their 60s report the highest rate of infidelity (16%), but the share goes down sharply among women in their 70s and 80s. By comparison, the infidelity rate among men in their 70s is the highest (26%), and it remains high among men ages 80 and older (24%).
Surprisingly, these full-blown affairs almost never start at a bar or club. Instead, they usually begin in much more wholesome environments: The workplace. The workplace is where most affairs begin.
Prevalence: Extramarital Affairs/Infidelities are common. Most estimates indicate that around 60% of men and 45% of women are willing to report that an affair has occurred sometime in their marriage and it suggests that 70% of all marriages experience an affair.
Supporting data from the IFS 1990s survey also says that men have always been more inclined to cheat than women. But during this period, older men have the same tendency to cheat as their younger peers. The survey says that infidelity among men peaked at the age of 50 to 59 (31%).
First and foremost, the study crunched some numbers and found that the average age women marry at is 29 years old. Next, they found that the average age women cheat is 36.6 years old, which means the spark of fidelity and passion begins to dwindle about six to seven years after the wedding.
Research from the past two decades shows that between 20 and 25 percent of married men cheat and between 10 and 15 percent of married women cheat, according to professor Nicholas Wolfinger.
For men, the peak age for cheating is 55 years old.
After those ages the likelihood of infidelity tends to decline.
According to a survey of 1,000 people on how affairs get exposed, 39% of the respondents said they were caught when their partner read a message or two on their phones.
Yet, most affairs usually end one of two ways: with divorce or a stronger current relationship.
According to recent statistics, approximately 15% of married couples in America and 20% of British marriages are considered sexless.
Among married couples, national surveys show that 15% of women and 25% of married men have cheated on their spouses. A cheating spouse does not necessarily mean the end of one's marriage.
There are several countries in which cheating is relatively common. Thailand is an outlier, but it is also at the top of the list. More than half of people in Thailand who are married admit to committing infidelity at least once during the course of the marriage. Then, infidelity is relatively common in Europe.
Durvasula said cheating is "not the norm, but not uncommon," with some estimates as high as 35 to 40 percent among those in long term but non-marital relationships and perhaps closer to 15 to 20 percent among marital relationships.
People who cheat are likely impulsive and destructive at decision making. Instead of thinking about you and what happens to the relationship after cheating, they go based on what they want right now. Impulsiveness can be seen in other areas of the relationship, too. So keep an eye out.
For those who cheat and don't open up about their mistakes, the divorce rate is a staggering 80%. For those who do admit their mistakes, that figure drops nearly in half, with divorce rates hitting around 43%. Honesty builds stronger relationships, engenders trust, and allows for healing.
A person who has difficulty controlling impulses might act without thinking. If the opportunity presents itself, a person with poor self-control might cheat. Selfishness. Someone who puts his or her needs and wants before their partner's may not care that there could be negative consequences for their actions.
Statistics on How Many Married Men Cheat
According to the Institute for Family Studies (IFS), about 20% of married men report cheating on their spouses. Men in all age groups from 30 to over 80 are more likely than women to be guilty of infidelity in a marriage.
Out of the 2,099 people surveyed, 32 percent of them said they had their first affair between the ages of 30 and 39. With the average age of marriage being 28, Mise said "this data shows us that it's not that long after getting married that people first think about straying from their marriage."
In fact, the study, which looked at data from the General Social Survey in the U.S., found that 20 per cent of married people over the age of 55 have engaged in extramarital sex, while only 14 per cent of couples under 55 are said to have cheated. Those in their 50s and 60s, however, were the most likely to cheat.
Why do people cheat? A wide variety of factors can bring out some type of affair. A study of 495 people revealed eight key reasons: anger, low self-esteem, lack of love, low commitment, need for variety, neglect, sexual desire, and circumstance.
Affairs: Why They Happen. There is seldom just one reason for an affair. The state of your relationship, the stresses and pressures of your life (finances, kids, job loss, depression, etc.), and your personal belief systems can all influence your vulnerability to an affair.
The Reasoning
There are many reasons people cheat, but according to Campbell, they usually fall into three categories: individual, relationship, and situational.