This article, published by the Catholic Review in January 2012, summarizes a striking study called “Why Marriage Matters” which challenges the common assumption that divorce represents the worst outcome for children’s family stability. The study, produced by the Center for American Families at the Institute for American Values and the National Marriage Project, found that children born to cohabiting couples actually fare worse than children from divorced families. Children in cohabiting households are far more likely to experience parental breakup, and federal statistics show they are at least three times more likely to experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse compared to children in intact married homes, with significantly higher rates of delinquency, drug use, and school failure as well. Lead researcher W. Bradford Wilcox of the University of Virginia argued that the lower levels of trust, emotional security, and commitment in cohabiting relationships tend to spill over into children’s lives, undermining their sense of stability. The piece is worth reading for anyone interested in family structure and child wellbeing, as it raises thought-provoking questions about how the shift away from marriage as the norm for childrearing affects kids across all socioeconomic backgrounds, and it is especially relevant for those working in pastoral, social, or policy settings.
