The percentage of children under the age of 18 who live with two parents decreased steadily for several decades (from approximately 85% in 1970 to approximately 68% by the mid-1990s1). Beginning in the mid-1990s, this decrease leveled off and the proportion of U.S. children who live with two married parents has since remained at approximately […]
A bibliography of resources on marriage and cross-cultural issues.
The median age at first marriage in the United States has been rising steadily since the 1960s for both males and females. In 1960, the median age at first marriage was 20.3 for females and 22.8 for males. By 2004, these ages had risen to 25.8 years for females and 27.4 years for males. This […]
A fact sheet of the 5 elements of a healthy marriage is provided by the Thriving Couples, Thriving Kids organization at Syracuse University.
Many marriage and relationship education programs focus on developing effective communication and conflict resolution skills. While different processes or methods are used, the target skills remain consistent. These skills include assertive communication, I-messages, decision-making, arguing effectively, learning to avoid behaviors that hurt when arguing, and conflict resolution. As a result it is important for professionals […]
American attitudes toward marriage have undergone changes in recent years, with shifts toward an increased acceptance of nontraditional family forms. Data show that Americans are developing increasingly favorable attitudes toward nontraditional family structures, such as cohabitation. While most American adolescents express positive attitudes toward marriage and a desire to become married themselves, more and more […]
Currently in the United States, millions of adults suffer from alcohol use disorders. Alcohol use disorders include both alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Alcohol abuse is a problem pattern of drinking behavior that results in disruptions in work, school, and/or family life. This may include taking risks under the influence of alcohol that put the […]
While the vast majority of contemporary Americans eventually marry, their age at marriage matters. Early marriage is associated with an increased risk of marital dissolution compared with marriages that occur to older individuals. However, only a minority of Americans now marries in their teens or early twenties. Researchers have also found that individuals who have […]
The primary purpose of this project is to bring evidence and policy development together by using theories, quantitative evidence, and ethnographic findings about the interactions between marriage, employment, and family functioning to formulate new approaches for programs and policies — approaches that can be tested with rigorously evaluated demonstrations. The focus of the analysis and […]
This paper reviews a series of studies addressing the question of whether loss of love and affection early in marriage and long-term marital instability have roots in couples’ premarital relationships. The findings summarized in this paper suggest that loss of love and affection early in marriage and later marital instability can be traced back to […]