This is the seventh publication in the Couples and Marriage research and policy brief series. It explores how the healthy marriage, responsible fatherhood, and domestic violence communities can work together to promote the well-being of families and children. The brief explains some of the barriers to building bridges between the three communities, and it suggests […]

This study addresses four sets of related questions: (1) What are the conditions and capabilities of new unmarried parents, especially fathers? How many of these men hold steady jobs? How many want to be involved in raising their children? (2) What is the nature of the relationships between unmarried parents? How many of these couples […]

This report discusses the findings of a comprehensive review of scholarly articles, reports, and books on the consequences of marriage for African Americans published from 1990 through 2004. In addition, new research was conducted using survey data collected from 1973 through 2002 by the American General Social Surveys. Ten key findings from the review and […]

Using recently released data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, this Research Brief presents a portrait of multiple-partner fertility among men aged 15-44 living in the United States. The brief also examines the types of relationships within which multiple-partner fertility occurs and the links between the characteristics of fathers and multiple-partner fertility. The […]

In recent years, strengthening marriages and relationships in low-income families has emerged as a national policy strategy to enhance child well-being. Mathematica recently conducted a study of how programs and services to strengthen relationships in unmarried parent families can be developed, implemented, and evaluated. The study culminated in a conceptual framework that identifies factors to […]

Authors Barbara Dafoe Whitehead and Marline Pearson argue that we need to teach young people about healthy relationships at the same time we teach them about avoiding risky sexual behavior and the value of waiting. They make clear that the order of some of life’s major events is critically important. Get an education, get married, […]

This fact sheet lists the guiding principles of Fathering After Violence (FAV), a national initiative developed by the Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) and its partners to enhance the safety and well-being of women and children by motivating men to renounce their violence and become better fathers (or father figures) and more supportive parenting partners. […]

Developed in part from a consultation of marriage leaders held in New York City on January 24-25, 2000, this statement discusses the importance of marriage in society and strategies for marriage promotion. The paper begins by addressing the goals of the marriage movement, the contemporary marriage crisis, and arguments against the promotion of marriage. The […]