More and more couples are choosing cohabitation over marriage, which is resulting in a number of couples also having children out of wedlock. And while the concern among many scholars is usually focused on divorce and children, recent research is pointing to the fact that more attention also needs to be given to the impact that cohabitation may have on children.
According to the study, when it comes to children and cohabitation, the claim is that those born out of wedlock run certain risks, like having psychological stress and trouble in school.
However, that being said, a recent news report does not provide any statistics in terms of the risk levels these children supposedly face. And, it’s also pointed out that there are plenty of healthy families that cohabitate.
So, even though some may question the information regarding children of cohabitation being at an increased risk, one thing that can be said for sure is that more and more parents are having children out of wedlock.
According to sources, the divorce rates have been dropping ever since the 1970s and 1980s, but the number of children being born to parents who aren’t married has increased. In fact, 41 percent of all children are now born to unwed mothers.
And when looking at reasons why more people are choosing to have children without marriage, sources point to the fact that many of these parents grew up during a time when a high number of marriages ended in divorce. Taking this into account, these parents who watched their own parents get divorced are probably somewhat nervous about getting married themselves, and therefore putting it off.
However, even though these parents may have their own reasons for not wanting to get married, it should be noted that those with children out of wedlock who split up from their significant other could find themselves not only having to deal with issues regarding child support and child custody, but paternity questions could also arise since they were not married.
Source: NPR, “Study: Are Cohabiting Parents Bad for Kids?” Jennifer Ludden, Aug. 16, 2011
