Briefs, Reports, Articles & Fact Sheets

COHABITATION

First Marriages in the United States: Data From the 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth

This comprehensive National Health Statistics Report presents findings and statistics regarding current trends and group differences in marital status from 1982 through 2010, including trends regarding cohabitation. 

Record Share of Americans Have Never Married

This comprehensive report from the Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project furnishes an in-depth look at the transformative trends in marriage, focuses on the rising share of adults 25 and older who have never married, and explores likely associated factors. 

With Marriage on the Decline and Cohabitation on the Rise, What about Marital Rights for Unmarried Partners?

This academic working paper points out differences between legal rights conferred to married couples as compared to the rights of cohabiting couples, and is suggested reading for persons considering or currently in a cohabitating relationship. 

Marriage vs. Cohabitation Outlook

Recent research shows the highest levels of unmarried adults living with romantic partners. Discover why these couples say they are happier and more trusting of their partners.

E$B%9hQ!2H^nNBe8https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/11/06/how-married-and-cohabiting-adults-see-their-relationships/">Married Couples vs. Cohabitating Couples POV

This resource explores relationship satisfaction disparities between married couples, and those couples who are living with a partner but unmarried.

DATING

Healthy Dating Leads to Healthy Marriage

This research report points out the need for healthy dating and marriage preparation and provides evidence-based direction for those wishing to develop healthy relationships. It also presents national and state trends regarding divorce. 

Marriage Matters: Are We Compatible

Marriage Matters: Are We Compatible — Dating is often seen as part of the mate selection process. This 1-page fact sheet presents information and advice concerning compatibility issues. It also provides a practical activity for couples and a link to a comprehensive list of resources useful for helping couples develop healthy relationships. 

Promoting Healthy Relationship Development in Teens, Part I: How Dating Smart in Youth Can Foster Better Relationships in Adulthood

Healthy dating relationships can lead to healthy marriages. This 4-page fact sheet discusses how premarital influences can shape future relationship stability, quality, and satisfaction. 

Promoting Healthy Relationship Development in Teens, Part II: Three Key Qualities to Foster Better Relationships

Couples who stay together tend to be more similar than they are different. This publication discusses potential similarities and differences, each person’s background influences, and how these often impact how well two people in a romantic relationship are able to communicate, stay together, and find happiness with each other. 

Sexual Selection and Humor in Courtship: A Case for Warmth and Extroversion

This research report addresses the importance of humor in all types of relationships, and romantic relationships in particular, and the special role that humor plays in attracting partners. 

DIVORCE

Counting the Cost of Divorce: What Those Who Know Better Rarely Acknowledge

This excellent research- based academic essay sheds light on the various costs of divorce, many of which those considering divorce often ignore.

Things to Consider Before You Divorce

This is a must-read for anyone considering divorce or working with those who might be considering divorce or dissolving their relationship.

ENGAGED

Do Marriage Prep Classes Really Work?

This research article reports on the results of 50 nationwide marriage preparation education classes, and provides evidence that these classes are effective in improving communication skills, one of the top predictors of marital satisfaction.

Getting Married?

This excellent set of seventeen Fragile Family Research Briefs explores the complicated issues surrounding the choice to get married including issues of poverty, religion, parenting, fatherhood, racial and ethnic differences, among others.

Teaching as an Intervention

This research article is for those interested in improving relationships of all types.  It provides initial evidence that interventions centered around best practice learning environments can result in improved human relationship skills. It includes an informative description of the 9 Important Communication Skills for Every Relationship (9 Skills), which can be purchased at the UF IFAS Bookstore, and the AIAI-FTFD Start-to-Finish Teaching Model.

NEWLYWEDS

5 Tips for Healthy, Loving Relationships

This easy-to-read tip sheet published by Harvard University Extension Services provides tips on ways to build healthy, loving relationships. 

Newlywed Issues and Trends

Multiple trends are discussed in these excellent Pew Research briefs about intermarried, gay, and remarried newlyweds and the many issues surrounding being newly married. 

MARRIED

WHY MARRIAGE MATTERS FOR CHILD WELL-BEING

This brief fact sheet explores the current research as to how marriage and family structure influence children’s well-being. For instance, parental income, time availability, and stress are all affected by the type of household children live in.

THE EVOLVING ROLE OF MARRIAGE: 1950-2010

This fact sheet details how marriage, cohabitation, and childbearing have changed in the United States over the past 60-70 years, explaining how evolving social norms, laws, and expectations have affected marriage rates and trends.

COHABITATION AND CHILD WELL-BEING

This fact sheet reviews the significant rise in cohabitation and in the number of cohabiting households who are raising children and discusses implications for children living in these households.

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LGBT INDIVIDUALS AND SAME-SEX COUPLES

This fact sheet discusses the many changes in the legal and societal status of LGBT people and same-sex couples in the United States over the past few decades, focusing particularly on changes in the right to marry and on facts about LGBT couples and families.

THE GROWING RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVIDE IN U.S. MARRIAGE PATTERNS

This fact sheet examines the differences in marriage and divorce rates among different races and discusses potential reasons for these disparities.

MARRIAGE: A DECADE REVIEW

This fact sheet reviews a decade of significant research findings about marriage, divorce and relationships, including topics such as power in marriage, how marriage affects health, which factors predict divorce, and more.

Marriage: More Than a Century of Change

This two-page fact sheet examines changes in female marriage patterns over the past hundred years and graphically illustrates that the marriage rate and the proportion of females who are married have declined radically since 1970 and are now at record lows — the median age at first marriage females is the highest it has been in over a hundred years. 

Prevalence and Experiences: Intimate Partner Violence - RIViR Paper #2

Prevalence and Experiences: Intimate Partner Violence - RIViR Paper #3

These recently released (April 2016) research-based papers define and describe intimate partner violence and teen dating violence, and offers ways to identify and address these issues, particularly in the context of healthy relationship programming. The papers also present a wealth of information, including statistics, definitions, resources, descriptions, and outcomes. 

PARENTS AND CO-PARENTS

A Portrait of Stepfamilies

This Pew Research Brief chronicles stepfamily demographics and family obligations toward biological and stepfamily relationships. 

Adolescents’ Perceptions of Family Belonging in Stepfamilies

This research report is suggested reading for parents whose children will spend part of their time in stepfamilies. Key factors in adolescent’s feelings of belonging in the family include perceptions of the quality of the stepfather-adolescent and the mother-adolescent relationship. 

Parenting in America: Outlook, Worries, Aspirations are Strongly Linked to Financial Situation

Published by the highly respected Pew Research Center, this comprehensive 102-page report defines important issues concerning contemporary parenting, and the impact that the financial situation has on the outlook, worries, and aspirations of parents. This report includes results from a national representative sample survey addressing topics important to parents. 

The Science Behind the Skills Adults Need to Succeed in Parenting

This evidence-based article published by Harvard University's Center on the Developing Child is a must-read for those interested in learning about the skills adults need to succeed in parenting. 

REMARRIAGE

Before You Say "I DO" Again

This informative fact sheet published by Ohio State University is a must-read for persons considering remarriage or currently remarried. It offers explanations of risks inherent to remarried families, and information regarding blending families, step-child relations, and suggestions regarding ways to improve remarriages. 

Couples Considering a Blended Family

This informative fact sheet, published by the University of Florida, is a must-read for persons considering blending families from previous marriages, or who are currently in a blended family. It offers advice to remarried families, information regarding blending families, stepchild relations, and provides links to further information on these topics. 

Helpful Strategies to Deal with Ex-partners in Remarriages

This informative fact sheet, published by Utah State University, is a must-read for persons considering or currently co-parenting in a blended family. It offers advice and information regarding how to address these issues in a healthy manner so as to build and maintain strong, healthy remarriages. 

Marriage Matters: Instant Family and Love?

This one-page easy-to-read fact sheet illuminates a major source of stress in remarriage, unreasonable expectations of gaining an instant family and love. This fact sheet also offers a quick activity to help you identify and clarify expectations, and a link to more fact sheets on related subjects.