Why Marriage Matters
This is one of AFA-IN’s very first Fact Sheets. It contains older, but still consistent and relevant research showing the societal benefits of marriage. It also shows the harms in the decline of marriage and the rise of fatherlessness, out-of-wedlock births and divorce.
“A comprehensive study of child abuse found that children living with their biological married parents are 20 to 33 times safer than in other family configurations.”
Let’s Just Live Together
This older fact sheet is still relevant to explain why cohabitation is not the same as marriage, nor does it have the same outcomes for couples and society. Far from being a trial marriage or a test for marriage, cohabitation undermines marital success.
“Contrary to the popular notion, cohabitation does not serve as an effective testing ground for marriage. Sociologists at the Universities of Chicago and Michigan explain that the “expectation of a positive relationship between cohabitation and marital stability . . . has been shattered in recent years by studies conducted in several Western countries.”
Proven Ways to Prevent Divorce
Most Hoosiers know that divorce grew dramatically following the widespread adoption of no-fault divorce laws in the 1970s. Divorce rates are still very high, particularly for remarriages, and the harms of divorce are well-documented. But there is also a good deal of research on what makes marriages work. This fact sheet lists some things couples can do to prevent divorce.
“Relationships between men and women tend to go through phases that are predictable. Successful couples recognize these changes and react (invest) in a positive way which strengthens the marriage.”
Divorce and Children
A massive, long-term study following thousands of children over more than a decade reveals some interesting lasting impacts of divorce. This Fact Sheet is taken from a June 2025 Colson Center Daily Breakpoint story of this study.
“According to Bailey, we now have convincing evidence that “the negative outcomes associated with divorce are not merely from underlying household issues, but from the act of separation itself.” The authors of the study added, “The magnitude of the effects … underscores how divorce can dramatically reshape children’s outcomes” and does so potentially for life.”
Parenting Styles and Mental Health
Can the parents’ views of family and marriage play a role in the positive mental health outcomes of their children? This AFA-IN Fact Sheet looks at a study using a large amount of data from Gallup Polling and other places to find differences in children’s mental health.
“Parents who think highly of marriage exhibit better parenting practices and have higher quality relationships with their teens.”
America’s Disappearing Dads
There is a mountain of research on the impact of disengaged or fatherless homes. This two-page Fact Sheet is from one of AFA-IN’s weekly emails addressing Father’s Day and the importance of dads. It contains a good amount of research on fatherlessness in America.
“Historically, poverty has stemmed primarily from fathers being unemployed or underpaid. Today, fatherlessness has become the single largest determinant of child poverty. Today, 92% of children on welfare are from either single-parent or divorced homes, whereas the vast majority of children raised in a married home will never be poor.”
Is That a Boy or a Girl?
This is a tipsheet of helpful things to consider when your children or grandchildren ask about gender confusion. It includes positive reminders when presenting the truth to children who are bombarded by modern culture with false messages about sexual identity.
“God loves men who wish they were women, as well as women who think they are men. We may disagree with someone’s beliefs and choices; however, we can still be kind and loving. We can pray for those who are gender-confused.”
Children and the War on Gender
This fact sheet is a reprint of a statement from the American College of Pediatricians regarding the transgender movement, giving children puberty-blocking drugs, surgeries, and encouragement of their gender confusion.
“When an otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological problem exists that lies in the mind, not the body, and it should be treated as such.”
