Marriage and Relationship Education and Couples and Marriage Therapy: What’s the Difference?
Some people—including professionals, public officials and the media—use these terms interchangeably. The public’s confusion is understandable when professionals themselves often use the terms so loosely.1 Some people are genuinely not aware of any differences. Others argue that any differences that may have once existed are increasingly becoming blurred and hence don’t really matter.
Marriage and Divorce Related Statistics Collection by Topic
Table of Contents Introduction Definitions and Acronyms Emergence of Public Interest in Marriage and Divorce Statistics and Family Trends Government and Academic Reports Historical Trends in Family Formation Recent Statistics and Trends in Family Formation Data on Family Formation According to Race/Ethnicity Collection and Quality of Divorce and Marriage Statistics at National, State and Local […]
Icebreakers – Concentric Circles
Group Size: 10 or more (depends on space available) Time Needed: 10 to 15 minutes Goal: To help group get to know each other (great for first day introductions!) Audience: Couples, Singles, Parents, Teens, Children Special Considerations: Consider the education levels of your group members before you pick this activity. This activity is very loud. […]
Making Distinctions Among Different Types of Intimate Partner Violence: A Preliminary Guide
In May 2009, the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (NHMRC) and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) co-sponsored the conference “”Toward a Common Understanding: Domestic Violence Typologies and Implications for Healthy Marriage and Domestic Violence Programs”” at the Airlie Conference Center in Warrenton, Virginia. The conference brought together a diverse set of 35 […]
Making the Connection Between Healthy Marriage and Health Outcomes: What the Research Says
This research brief explores the effects of marital quality on health. It begins by citing research that getting married and being married is linked to many positive physical and mental health outcomes. Reasons for the link between marriage and good health are then explored, including the “”selection effect”” that occurs when people who are inherently […]
Recent Changes in Family Structure: Implications for Children, Adults, and Society
This brief reviews trends in family structure in the United States and implications for children, adults, and society. Data is shared on rates of divorce, nonmarital births, and nonmarital cohabitation. Statistics are cited that indicate the probability of marriages ending in divorce increased more or less continuously until 1990 and then stabilized; between 43% and […]
Collaborating Within State Government to Support Healthy Relationships: Tips for State Administrators
There is a large spectrum of government services and programs that can be included in healthy marriage programs. The natural and immediate thoughts go to the human services field; however, there are many other areas that offer opportunities for healthy marriage/relationship programs. These include corrections and criminal justice, juvenile justice, health programs (including Medicaid and […]
A Personal Perspective in Talking With Your State Legislator About Marriage and Relationship Education: Tips from the Field
This brief draws on the personal experience of the Project Director for Family Services of Greater Houston in Texas, to offer tips for lobbying a State’s legislature for the implementation of marriage preparation and relationship strengthening services. Recommendations include: know your legislators, know the lobbyists, do your homework before you pick up the phone, be […]
Where Do “”Domestic Violence”” Statistics Come From and Why Do They Vary So Much? NHMRC and NRCDV Brief
Domestic violence advocates and family violence researchers often appear to contradict each other when they describe and report on the extent and nature of intimate partner violence. Although the term “”domestic violence”” has a very clear specific meaning to advocates working in the domestic violence field, it is used in other ways in other contexts […]