The Family Research Council released a new study Wednesday that comprehensively details the effects of pornography on marriages, children, communities and individuals.
Full report: PDF
Archives For study
Link: A Three-City Study: Kids report first sexual intercourse at 12 years old
A new Iowa State study of nearly 1,000 low-income families in three major cities found that one in four children between the ages of 11 and 16 reported having sex, with their first sexual intercourse experience occurring at the average age of 12.77. The study was co-authored by Brenda Lohman, an associate professor of human development and family studies; and Tina Jordahl, a former ISU graduate student. Tina Jordahl, a former Iowa State HDFS and public policy graduate student who is now a market research specialist with Hospice of Central Iowa, collaborated with Lohman on the study. It analyzes data from the “Welfare, Children and Families: A Three-City Study” — a six-year longitudinal investigation of low-income families living in Boston, Chicago and San Antonio.
Link: study: Shared Vices Good for Marriage
Australian researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and it’s a lot more than just being in love. The study, entitled “What’s Love Got to Do With It”, tracked nearly 2,500 couples — married or living together — from 2001 to 2007 to identify factors associated with those who remained together compared with those who divorced or separated. A couple’s smoking and drinking habits are a far better guide, data collected from 2500 couples between 2001 and 2007 shows. Married couples who either both smoke or both don’t, or who consume similar amounts of alcohol are considerably less likely to separate, says the study What’s Love Got To Do With It. Apparently, shared vices are good for marriage.The study was jointly written by Dr Rebecca Kippen and Professor Bruce Chapman from The Australian National University, and Dr Peng Yu from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. (more links)
Link: Divorce Delay – Mandatory ‘Cooling Off’ Period
UK: It would give estranged husbands and wives a chance to consider saving their relationship. The Tory think tank’s report, called Every Family Matters, also backed a tax break to promote marriage. It called for more counselling for warring couples and marriage classes for those getting wed. And the report insisted that Labour’s new rights for cohabiting couples should be reversed. It found that three-quarters of cohabiting couples want to tie the knot. Research also shows half of cohabiting couples split before their child’s fifth birthday – compared to one in 12 married ones. The report said: “A government that wants to prevent family breakdown cannot ignore these statistics. “Marriage is of paramount importance to individuals, children and our nation.”
Below are the key findings from a report published this week by the National Center for Health Statistics (download complete report: Data Brief No. 19).
Key Findings:
- Over 70% of men and women aged 25–44 have ever been married: 71% of men and 79% of women.
- Non-Hispanic black men and women aged 25–44 have lower percentages who have ever been married than non- Hispanic white and Hispanic persons of the same age.
- The probability that men will marry by age 40 is 81%; for women, it is 86%.
- A larger percentage of women than men aged 35–44 have married by age 35.
- Smaller percentages of non-Hispanic black women aged 35–44 have married by age 35 than non-Hispanic white or Hispanic women of the same age range.
- Smaller percentages of non-Hispanic black men aged 35–44 who are below the poverty line have been married by age 35 than non-Hispanic black men of the same age who are at least 200% above poverty.
- Among all race and ethnic groups aged 35–44, the data suggest that larger percentages of poor women have not married by age 35 than women who are near poor or not poor. (see chart below)
Link: study: Damage from parental split ‘can last into adulthood’
Children whose parents separate are twice as likely to under-achieve at school, suffer mental health problems and struggle to form lasting relationships, according to research commissioned by Ed Balls. Effects of family breakdown can be ‘enduring’ and persist well into adulthood, the study for the Schools Secretary concluded. It also reported that one in six children growing up in stepfamilies show social and emotional problems, against one in 10 whose parents stayed together. The study suggests that pre-marital couples classes – which cover communication skills and the importance of sharing experiences – could reduce divorce rates. The effects on children are worse if mothers become depressed or anxious and if parenting standards slip, the report said.
Link: Nesties – Who are they and why does it matter?
NEW YORK The Knot Inc. has identified a demographic subset of women who are going through a series of intense, mega-life-changes in a compressed period of time. The digital media company, best known for its core wedding-centric site TheKnot.com, recently conducted a study in conjunction with global research firm OTX. The result was the classification of this marketing-friendly group dubbed “Nesties” — 25-to-32-year-old women who are getting engaged, planning weddings, shopping for houses and preparing to have kids — essentially planning for the next 20 years of their lives during a tight three- to four-year window. Knot CEO David Liu said that when TheKnot.com launched in 1999, the average age for a bride was 24. Today, it’s 27-plus. “When you get married at 24, you are not necessarily thinking about a baby. When you get married at 27, that biological clock is suddenly ticking. It’s causing some interesting overlap.” As a result of delayed marriage, many couples make big lifestage jumps in a non-traditional order, such as first buying a home, then starting a family, and then getting married. “There is this weird almost social shift where these lifestages are not as sequential as in the past,” said Liu. “It’s now one big soup.”
Link: study: How well did you sleep last night?
Marriage may improve your sleep, and better sleep may improve your marriage, two new studies suggest. Women who are married or who have stable partners appear to sleep better than women who have never married or lost a partner, according to research from an eight-year study presented at the Associated Professional Sleep Societies annual meeting. They also found that marital happiness lowers the risk of sleep problems, while marital strife heightens the risk. // Related Articles
Link: study: The One Hundred Billion Dollar Man
The federal government spends $99.8 billion dollars every year on programs – such as child support enforcement and anti-poverty efforts – that support father-absent homes. Download Full Study PDF (1.7 M)
