How Common is Cheating?

by James Robbins, M.A., LPC

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know that about 25% of American couples will experience one or both members cheating at some point in their relationship?

Although men were historically more likely to cheat, this gap is narrowing. Female infidelity is on the rise, with women cheating nearly as often as men these days.

Women tend to cheat when they feel dissatisfied with their committed relationship as a whole. Unfaithful men tend to be more directly motivated by sex, and are at a higher risk for cheating when sexual issues (such as disagreements over sexual frequency) are present within their long-term relationship.

Two other facts worth knowing:

1.) Women often pay a higher price for infidelity.

Marriages where the female cheats are much more likely to end in divorce than marriages where the male cheats. Spousal abuse increases significantly when a female is discovered cheating. Given this “double standard,” women tend to be more cautious, strategic and discreet when cheating.

2.) “Female intuition” is real.

When a wife expects her husband is cheating, she is accurate about 90% of the time. Men are only 50% accurate when it comes to similar hunches about their wives.

 

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About the Author: James Robbins is a licensed professional counselor, published author and co-owner of Dallas Whole Life Counseling. He has over 15 years of experience helping people in various life stages that come from a wide variety of cultural, economic and family backgrounds. Learn more about his background by clicking here.