* 62% of adulterous men and 77% of unfaithful women say that their parents had affairs in the past, suggesting cheating can run in the family.

* 71% of love rats said their mum and dad’s relationship survived infidelity, giving them the impression that adultery doesn’t have to lead to the breakdown of a marriage.

* A relationship expert has warned that a person’s upbringing can shape their perspective surrounding infidelity, with 41% of cheaters believing affairs are more acceptable because they witnessed the same behaviour from their parents.

* Study conducted by IllicitEncounters.com, the UK’s largest extramarital dating site
 

Unfaithful partners are never short of excuses when it comes to why they choose to walk down the path of infidelity. But, it turns out there’s another reason for cheating they can add to the list: if their parents cheated, they’re more likely to do it too.

A recent survey by extramarital dating site IllicitEncounters.com involving 600 male and 600 female members, suggests that if you want to know if your partner is going to cheat on you, just take a look at their parents’ relationship.

62% of unfaithful men and 77% of cheating women surveyed said their parents had an affair in the past. 

Of those who declared they had adulterous parents, incredibly 71% said their mum and dad’s relationship survived the infidelity. So, if your parents can overcome cheating, the consequences might not be so bad, right? 

That appears to be the mindset of love rats, as a shocking 4 in 10 of those who took part in the survey said their parents’ infidelity made them feel it’s more acceptable to cheat on their own partners. 

Maria from Birmingham, who took part in the survey, said, “My dad cheated on my mum repeatedly when I was younger – but she always found a way of moving past it and forgiving him.

Seeing how my parents overcame infidelity definitely changed the way I look at cheating. We’re only human, and we all make mistakes but it’s all about how you react. When there’s children involved it’s also much easier to sweep things under the rug and to try to just act like nothing’s happened for the benefit of the family.

I suppose seeing my mum’s ability to just keep going almost gave me the green light to cheat too, because it gave me the impression that there’s no real consequences when it comes to infidelity.”

So, can cheating parents really reveal if you’re more likely to follow in their footsteps when it comes to infidelity? According to Jessica Leoni, spokesperson and relationship expert at  IllicitEncounters.com, “Growing up in an environment where being unfaithful is more common really can shape a person’s perception of fidelity and commitment, and that’s clear from these statistics.

It’s so important to recognise that our early experiences serve as a template for understanding what is considered acceptable or normal in relationships. 

If people witness infidelity within their family unit, it can absolutely contribute to the normalisation of such behaviour, potentially influencing their own attitudes towards commitment. It’s a cycle that risks repeating itself from generation to generation.”