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Old 8th July 2009, 10:37 AM   #1
Dave
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UK Marriage News – Highlights from April to June 2009

Government and Political
· Number of cohabiting couples projected to rise in England & Wales (6 April No.9.14)
The number of (opposite-sex) cohabiting couples is projected to increase by almost two-thirds over the next 25 years according to new figures published by the Office for National Statistics. Results of the 2006-based population projections by marital status for England & Wales cover both legal marital status and (opposite-sex) cohabitation. On the basis of the assumptions underlying the projections, the new figures show that the number of cohabiting couples is projected to rise from 2.25 million in 2007 to 3.70 million in 2031.

· Social Trends Report (20 April No 9.15)
Women are more likely to give birth before they turn 25 than get married, according to official statistics that illustrate how British family life has been transformed in a generation says the Telegraph (the Daily Mail and the Times). More people are living alone, more children are being raised by single parents and more grown-up children are living with their parents than ever before, according to the Office for National Statistics. The Social Trends report made clear, however, that the most radical changes had been to child-rearing and marriage.

· CYPF Grant axed (15 June No.9.22)
Back in January the DCSF announced it would be consulting on the CYPF grant. For some weeks the CYPF web page has been unavailable but it now says:
“We will not be running an application round in 2009. Instead we plan to run a consultation to provide organisations in the sector with the opportunity to influence the future approach and shape of the grant programme. We plan to launch the consultation on 29 June 2009. Further information will be available from the Department’s consultations website.”
So there you have it in black and white – no new grants in 2009 – it was 1996 when Lord MacKay introduced funding for Marriage Support Services – it has taken this government 12 years, and at least three re-arrangements of funding to finally get rid of it altogether!

· Bankruptcies rise among over-45s (15 June No.9.22)
The over-45s are experiencing the biggest rise in bankruptcies as multiple marriages and falling house prices take their toll on people's finances, it was claimed today reports the Guardian. The number of individuals in that age group going bankrupt increased by 124% between 2004 and 2008, rising from 10,600 to 23,800, according to research by accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy. Over the same period the total number of bankruptcies rose by 89% to 67,500.

· Judge calls for action to stop British 'epidemic' of family breakdown (22 June No.9.23)
A national commission should be created to tackle Britain’s “epidemic” of family breakdown, a senior judge said reports the Times, Telegraph, Guardian and Daily Mail. Mr Justice Coleridge, a Family Division judge, said that the commission should establish marriage as the “gold standard” for relationships and put an end to the constant games of “musical relationships” or “pass the partner”, which can scar children for life.

· Dozens of sharia courts are giving illegal advice, claims Civitas report (29 June No. 9.24)
Dozens of sharia courts in the UK are regularly giving illegal advice on issues including marriage and divorce, a report published today claims reports the Guardian and the Daily Mail. Decisions concerning marriages not recognised under English law, polygamy, and disputes regarding children are being made by at least 85 sharia courts, according to the report by the think tank Civitas.

Research and Public Opinion

· Is porn damaging your emotional health? (6 April No.9.14)
Last week we wrote about the damaging impact of pornography on our attitudes to marriage. We were intrigued therefore to find this from the Times last week. Thanks to the internet, porn has become central to our lives, with serious consequences for our sexual and emotional health. Andrea Dworkin, the anti-porn activist, rose to fame in the 1980s arguing that if we did not limit pornography most men would objectify women more intensively and treat them less as people than as porn stars. The floodgates would open; rape and other sexual transgressions would follow.

· School drop-out rates rise for children of divorce, claims study (20 April No 9.15)
Parents thinking about getting divorced, especially for the second or third time, should consider the impact of that decision on their children's schooling, new research from University of Alberta suggests, reports SmartMarriages citing Canwest.

The groundbreaking study - believed to the first in Canada to look at the long-term impacts of household upheaval on academic success - found children who experience changes to their family structure are much more likely to become high school dropouts than classmates whose parents stay together.

· Children who watch adult television have sexual intercourse earlier (11 May No. 9.17)

Children who watch adult television programme shows are a third more likely to become sexually active in their early teens, according to a study reports the Telegraph. The younger they are exposed to screen content meant for their parents, the sooner they lose their virginity during adolescence, the research showed. It found that for every hour the youngest group of children watched adult programmes over the two sample days, their chances of having sex during early adolescence increased by 33 percent.

· Dull days wreck a marriage faster than fighting (25 May No. 9.19)
Experts say that shared challenges and exciting diversions are what make relationships hot long after the wedding gown has been packed up and stored away says MSNBC. And the opposite, boredom and a dull, daily routine, can kill a marriage, squashing intimacy and romance. In fact, couples who say they are bored tend to grow increasingly unhappy, according to a study published this month in Psychological Science.

· Marriage: Happiness Pays Off (1 June No. 9.20)
A good marriage is good medicine reports SmartMarriages. The latest confirmation of it comes from a 13-year study about middle-aged women by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and San Diego State University. They compared the health of women with a high satisfaction in marriage or in a romantic relationship with women less satisfied in relationships and other women who were divorced, single or widowed. The 493 participants agreed to have blood drawn to measure sugar and cholesterol levels along with blood pressure readings and assessments of their personal habits and mental health, according to the study. The results: Women who were happier in their relationships had healthier hearts with lower blood pressure and cholesterol. They also experienced less anger and depression, the research showed

· Cyber affairs cited in breakdown of real marriages (1 June No. 9.20)
Affairs conducted via social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are increasingly a cause of marriage breakdowns, according to divorce lawyers reports the Guardian. Matrimonial experts at law firm Turner Parkinson said social networking is increasingly cited as a reason for divorce as spouses embark on cyber affairs. The trend has been fuelled by websites that introduce like-minded adulterers such as Meet2cheat.co.uk and Affairsclub.com, as well as a host of self-help websites telling spouses how to look for telltale signs of a partner cheating online.

· Devoted dad key to reducing risky teen sex (22 June No.9.23)
Moms help, but an involved father has twice the influence, a new study finds reports MSNBC; When it comes to preventing risky teen sex, there may be no better deterrent than a doting dad. Teenagers whose fathers are more involved in their lives are less likely to engage in risky sexual activities such as unprotected intercourse, according to a new study.

Celebrity, Human and Fun stuff
· How Sir Alan Sugar celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary with a £2m party (18 May No. 9.18)
"Ann and I would like to invite you to our 40th wedding anniversary party," reports Piers Morgan in the Mail. Sir Alan really did turn all soft and sentimental, and embarked on a genuinely touching defence of his marriage vows….

"Now here is a message to those young aspiring men here tonight; I would remind you what it is to be a successful man, and what is one's prize possession in life. It has absolutely nothing at all to do with money, academic achievement, or any material things. … A real successful man puts the love of his wife and children first, a real successful man's greatest position in life is to have a great family. You see, everything I have today is because of the love of that lady and the respect my three children have for the both of us."

· Britain's longest married couple celebrate their 81st anniversary (1 June No. 9.20)
They credit a little arguing and a happy outlook, but whatever the secret is to a long-lasting marriage Frank and Anita Milford must be doing something right as they celebrate their 81st wedding anniversary today reports the Daily Mail. Devoted Frank Milford, 101, and wife Anita, 100, tied the knot on May 26, 1928.
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Old 29th September 2009, 05:07 PM   #2
Dave
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UK Marriage News - highlights July to September 2009

UK Marriage News – Highlights from July to September 2009

Government and Political
· Tory blueprint for the family: Tax deals for the married, tougher laws on divorce and prenup deals (6 July No.9.25)
Tax breaks worth thousands of pounds a year and a sweeping overhaul of the law to strengthen marriage are at the heart of a Conservative strategy to reverse family breakdown reports the Daily Mail. A major report that will shape policy in a future Tory government is to highlight the 'lamentable' failure to protect the family by policymakers since the Seventies.

· Call to reform Divorce law with compulsory cooling off period (13 July No. 9.26)
A compulsory three-month “cooling off” period in which estranged couples must find out about the implications of a divorce is recommended in a major new report on family law reform published today. The compulsory delay before divorce proceedings could begin would be used to encourage both parties to reflect on their marriage and to gather information about the scope for reconciliation and key issues such as the financial impact of a split. The recommendations are the heart of a report proposing a far-reaching overhaul of the law aimed at putting marriage at the heart of family life. “This three-month period is endeavouring to save saveable marriages,” it declares.

The report, Every Family Matters, comes from the Centre for Social Justice, the think-tank set up by the former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, which has had a major bearing on David Cameron’s social policy-making.

Another key conclusion from the report is a rejection of moves to give couples living together the same legal rights as those who are married. The authors, a high-powered team of lawyers led by David Hodson of London-based The International Family Law Group, also call Government to give “strong encouragement” to marriage preparation classes, although they fall short of insisting that such advice be compulsory.

· Forming Firm Relationships: Decide – Don’t Slide (20 July No.9.27)
The Relationships Foundation is calling on the government to support the voluntary sector in providing relationship education for couples. Too many couples slide into a relationship without ever actually deciding to be together. This has both public and private consequences. Couple Relationship Education helps people work through issues before deciding to commit, making the relationship more likely to succeed. This could reduce the £37billion of taxpayers' money spent each year when relationships fail.

· For richer or poorer, tax breaks are fairer (20 July No. 9.27)
David Willetts has been setting out the thinking behind the Tory plans on tax breaks in the Times.

· Harman: welcome drop in domestic violence (20 July No. 9.27)
Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, has welcomed new figures which show that since 1997 there has been a 64 per cent drop in incidents of domestic violence. Ms Harman, speaking at the Women’s National Commission 40th anniversary celebrations in London, said: “Since 1997, we have made tackling violence a priority. We have toughened the law, increased sentences and made police, courts and the criminal justice system deal with violence against women in a more sensitive and effective way. This work has resulted in progress. Over the last 12 years, incidents have gone down by 64 per cent. But we know that there is still a long way to go. Violence against women is unacceptable and always has a devastating effect on children in the family, and we will continue to do all we can to tackle it. [Does that mean that similar violence against men is acceptable and has no effects? Ed]

· Tax credits DO help to break up families: Parents encouraged to divorce to claim higher benefits, says report (27 July No.9.28)
Labour's tax credits have caused thousands of families to break up, says an authoritative study reports the Daily Mail. The flagship scheme is blamed for a doubling of the divorce rate among low income parents with young children. Tax credits, introduced a decade ago to cut child poverty, were supposed to help single mothers and hard-working families. But a so-called 'couple penalty' means that a mother can pick up more than £100 extra a week by splitting from her partner.

· More Couples Impacted by Couple Penalty a Third Year in a Row says CARE Report (10 August No.9.30)
CARE has released its Third Annual Review of the Couple Penalty for the fiscal year 2008/9, demonstrating an increase in the numbers negatively affected for the third year in a row and the growing cost to the Treasury. The couple penalty is the term given to the unwelcome fiscal incentive, resulting from the tax credit and wider benefits system, for couples with children on low to modest incomes to live apart, even after account is taken of the extra housing costs. Today’s report - by Fiscal Policy Consultant, Don Draper - shows that there has been a small increase in the numbers affected by the couple penalty since 2007/8 where maintenance payments are not paid, and quite a considerable increase where maintenance payments are paid.

· Half of babies now born outside marriage (28 September No.9.36)
Almost half of all babies are born outside marriage, official figures have revealed reports the Daily Mail. The rate of 46 per cent for the first three months of this year is the highest ever for England and Wales. The proportion of newborns with unmarried parents has risen by more than 50 per cent since 1991. Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe said: 'These figures are deeply depressing as people are regarding marriage as an optional extra to bringing up children rather than a quintessential foundation for a family. 'Marriage should be made more beneficial to parents by addressing it through the benefits and tax systems.'

Research and Public Opinion
· How being married can cut your risk of Alzheimer's in later life (6 July No.9.25)
Being married protects you against Alzheimer's in later life, claim researchers reports the Daily Mail. People who have a partner in middle age are at half the risk of developing dementia as those who live alone, says a study. Getting divorced and becoming widowed in mid-life raises the risk three-fold.

· Fifth of women childless as careers take precedence, study shows (6 July No.9.25)
One in five women is remaining childless as a growing proportion choose a career over raising a family, according to a study published recently says the Times. The trend is most marked among women of higher social class, with better qualifications, and who were brought up as only children.

· Living together before tying the knot is more likely to lead to divorce, a study shows (20 July No. 9.27)
Couples living together before tying the knot are more likely to get divorced than those who wait until they were married, a study shows reports the Telegraph (and the Mail). The study, carried out by researchers from the University of Denver and published in the Journal of Family Psychology, reported that cohabiting before the marriage does a relationship more harm than good. A survey of over 1,000 married men and women in the US found those who moved in with a lover before engagement or marriage reported significantly lower quality marriages and a greater potential for splitting up than other couples.

· What's love got to do with it? Bliss depends on so much more (20 July No. 9.27)
It has always been celebrated as the heart of any long lasting marriage. But love, it seems, is little more than a starting point reports the Daily Mail. Far more important factors must come into play if a bride and groom are to have a hope of living happily ever after, according to academics. These include the ages of the couple when they marry, their level of education, how much they enjoy a drink and even whether they both smoke.

· A purity ring on your phone? (20 July No.9.27)
The iPhone has applications for almost everything, from helping people to choose the best wine for a meal to locating supermarkets in Holland. Now there is one to help them to stay chaste until marriage reports the Guardian. For just 59p, consumers can download an application that allows them to take a purity pledge and then display a silver ring on their phone to prove their commitment to abstinence.

· Divorce 'health scars permanent' (3 August No.9.29)
Divorce has a lingering, detrimental impact on health that even remarriage cannot fully repair, a study suggests reports the BBC, The Telegraph, and the Daily Mail. A Chicago study involving 8,652 people aged 51 to 61 found divorced people have 20% more chronic illnesses such as cancer than those who never marry. The figure only drops to 12% for those who remarry, researchers write in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour. They say we start adulthood with a "health stock" that is kept or eroded depending on our marital experience. Only those who are continuously married can expect the same rate of chronic health problems as the never-wedded.

· Why marriage is better for men than quitting smoking (24 August No.9.32)
Walking down the aisle actually has a positive effect on a man's health, scientists say reports the Daily Mail. They found that a long marriage lowers a man's chance of developing serious health problems and is more effective than giving up smoking when guarding against potentially fatal diseases.

· Marriage 'cancer survival impact' (7 September No.9.33)
Researchers believe stress may affect cancer survival reports the BBC. Married people are more likely to survive cancer, whereas those going through a break-up have the worst chance of beating it, a study shows. US researchers from Indiana University analysed data on 3.8m people diagnosed with cancer between 1973 and 2004. They found people who were married had a 63% chance of surviving five years, compared to 45% of people who were separated, the journal Cancer reported. The team said the stress of break-up probably affected survival rates.

· Want the dream marriage? Then sleep in separate beds (14 September No.9.34)
The secret to a long and happy marriage could be having separate beds, an expert on sleep claims reports the Daily Mail and the Times. Not only will a couple escape arguments over duvet-hogging and fidgeting, but they will have a proper night's rest. This will have a huge impact on both their health and the relationship as poor sleep increases the risk of stroke, heart disease and divorce, said Dr Neil Stanley. The consultant, who set up sleep laboratories at Surrey University, said: 'Poor sleep is bad for your physical, mental and emotional health. There is no good thing about poor sleep. If a husband or wife snores, twin beds might not be an option either, and they should sleep in separate bedrooms, he told the British Science Festival.

Partner News
· Too Much, Too Soon: The government’s plans for your child’s sex education (20 July No.9.27)
We received the latest bulletin from FYC this week – as always packed with some challenging thoughts. It also includes this new booklet on sex education.

In 11 short chapters, this booklet tells parents what they need to know about sex education. It explains the law, identifies the aims of the key players, considers the research evidence, and weighs up the case for making sex education compulsory for all pupils from the age of five. It argues that young people do not need to be presented with a menu of sexual options from which they can make ‘informed choices’. Rather, the whole issue needs to be approached with honesty, modesty and within a clear moral framework that shows a proper respect for parents and for marriage.

Available for free download or to order for (inc p&p): single copy - £3.50; 5 copies - £12.50; 10 copies - £22.50; 25 copies - £50.00

· Care for the Family and Positive Parenting merge (7 September No.9.33)
Parents across the UK will benefit as charities Care for the Family and Positive Parenting merge in January 2010. The charities have similar aims and ethos in supporting parents in the ups and downs of family life. This move will enable more parents to access the charities' complementary resources and delivery models meaning more parents can find help, advice and support.

New Books, Resources and materials
· Cohabitation is a bad deal for women, new UK & US research shows (6 July No.9.25)
Women who cohabit should not assume that their partners are equally committed, according to US research cited in "What works in relationship education?" a collection of new papers written by top academics and practitioners in the UK, USA and Europe. Women commit when they move in together, whereas men tend to commit only when they decide on a future together. Most couples slide into cohabitation without making such a clear decision. Inertia then traps some couples in unhappy cohabitations and makes it harder to leave without necessarily making it any better to stay.


Soap Box
· Family structure does matter! (14 September No.9.34)
An independent study of Marriage Savers work in the USA by the Institute for Research and Evaluation found that:

1. By creating Community Marriage Policies, in which clergy from across denominational lines in a city (and sometimes secular marriage authorities), who pledge to do a better job preparing couples for marriage (such as requiring couples to take a premarital inventory that is reviewed by trained mentor couples and teaching conflict resolution skills) and by pledging to take similar steps to enrich existing marriages, restore troubled ones, help the separated to reconcile and stepfamilies to be successful -- they have cut divorce and cohabitation rates, and raised marriage rates.

2. Marriage Savers trains couples in healthy marriages to mentor others at each key stage of the marital life cycle, to implement the pledges of clergy.

3. Divorce rates in the first 114 cities fell by an average of 17.5%. In fact, seven cities such as Austin and El Paso, Texas, Kansas City, Kansas, and Modesto, California -- have reduced divorce rates by 48% to 70%. The Institute estimated 31,000 to 50,000 marriages saved by 2001. With 8 more years in the original cities and twice as many cities (227) now, probably 100,000 divorces have been averted.

4. Cohabitation rates fell 13.4% in Community Marriage Policy cities, from 1990-2000 while they rose in carefully matched cities by 19.2%. In other words, CMP cities ended the decade with a cohabitation rate one-third lower than their counterparts.

5. Marriage rates are rising, though it takes six years, on average. In Evansville, IN, for example, the divorce rate fell 20% while the marriage rate was unchanged until Years 7 and 8 when it rose 16%.


Celebrity, Human and Fun stuff
· Britain's longest-lasting marriage ends after 81 years: Frank, 101, passes away holding wife Anita's hand (7 September No.9.33)
One half of the longest married couple in Britain has died after 81 years of wedded bliss reports the Daily Mail. Frank Milford, 101, held the hand of his wife Anita, also 101, as he passed away at the residential home where they lived.
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Old 26th October 2009, 10:48 AM   #3
Dave
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Quarterly "news" about marriage

As a service to those working in the marriage field in the UK we produce a weekly summary of news from areas such as the polical sphere, media, research, the faith communities etc. One of our readers kindly produces a quartely summary and we are pleased to include that here for a wider readership.

If you work in the field of couple support and would like to receive our weekly newsletter please contact us.
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Old 22nd December 2009, 01:16 PM   #4
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UK Marriage News – Highlights from October to December 2009

UK Marriage News – Highlights from October to December 2009

Government and Political
Sham marriage boom after judges rule Home Office crackdown is illegal
(5 October No.9.37)
Sham marriages are booming after judges relaxed laws designed to prevent them, figures show reports the Daily Mail. The number of illegal immigrants who stage fake ceremonies to stay in the country is likely to top 500 this year, the highest level since 2004.Growing abuse of marriage laws appeared to have been stemmed that year after non-EU nationals were told they must apply for Home Office approval before marrying an EU citizen. But last year Law Lords said the rules against fake marriages breached human rights and could deny genuine couples the right to marry.

Tough new powers to help victims break cycle of violence (5 October No.9.37)
Violent partners will be banned from their homes and their victims given support to escape abuse under new proposals due to be unveiled by Home Secretary Alan Johnson. Police will be able to initiate a Domestic Violence Protection Order, also known as 'Go' orders, barring perpetrators of domestic violence from their homes for up to a fortnight, giving their victim breathing space to consider their options. Local caseworkers will use the period to advise the partner about services if they decide to leave the relationship including help to secure a longer-term injunction. Johnson said "We must never accept that violence against women and girls is best left behind closed doors."

Young people at heart of strategy to bring an end to violence against women
(30 November No.9.45)
An ambitious strategy aiming to bring an end to violence against women and girls has been set out by the Government. As well as measures to protect victims and tackle perpetrators, the 'Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls' strategy signals a new focus on preventing violence from happening. From 2011, preventing violence in relationships will be included in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, so attitudes which condone and perpetuate violence against women are addressed before they become entrenched in young people.
(But what about violence by women on men?)

Tories 'unashamedly' support marriage, pledges Miller (12 October No.9.38)
The Tories are ''unashamedly'' supporters of marriage, Maria Miller, the party's families spokeswoman said reports the Telegraph and the Daily Mail. Mrs Miller said it was proven that marriage provides a ''stable'' framework but denied the party wanted to go back to a 1950s-style ideal of family life. And she accused Labour of ''scaremongering'' for claiming the Tories would put the Sure Start children's centres at risk. Mrs Miller told the Conservative Party conference: ''More than nine out of ten 15-year-olds want to get married at some point in their lives. The Conservative Party unashamedly supports families, unashamedly supports marriage and this is what people aspire to and the Conservative Party have always been the party of aspiration. Marriage provides a sort of stable framework for our lives and, with the evidence right in front of us, it is madness not to support marriage. That is why we are committed to introducing the recognition of marriage in the tax and benefit system.''

Power to the grandparents: Tories to hand out sweeping legal rights to keep families together (26 October No.9.40)
Millions of grandparents will be given sweeping new legal rights if the Tories win the next election. The law will be changed to ensure they do not lose contact with their grandchildren after a family separation, divorce or bereavement. They will also be put at the front of the custody queue if their grandchildren face being fostered or taken into care. The changes were revealed by Shadow Cabinet minister David Willetts, who speaks for the party on the family, in an interview with the Daily Mail. He said it was a scandal that there was currently 'little or no' recognition of the vital role grandparents play in society. Research suggests they are increasingly relied upon by their children for help with childcare and finances, and by teenage grandchildren for advice and support they may not get at home. Grandparents currently have no rights to keep in contact with grandchildren after a parental split. Almost half face the heartbreak of being cut off completely and never seeing the youngsters again.

Evidence on strategies to reduce teenage pregnancy rates (26 October No.9.40)
Despite efforts by successive governments over the past 20 years, teenage pregnancy rates in the UK have remained stubbornly high says the Nursing Times. In 1999, a Teenage Pregnancy Strategy was launched with specific targets to achieve a 15% reduction in the under-18 conception rate in England by 2004, a 50% reduction by 2010, and to establish a long-term downward trend in the under-16 conception rate (Social Exclusion Unit, 1999). …….The article examines various aspects of the strategy and its implementation and concludes that despite more than £200m being spent on the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, there has been little discernible impact on conception rates, at least at a national level. The evidence that direct interventions such as improved school sex education and confidential access to family planning services help to lower teenage pregnancy rates is, at best, weak.

A wife's a wife, not a partner, says judge: the trendy term that downgrades marriage' (26 October No.9.40)
It is a description fast falling out of favour in these politically correct times, says the Daily Mail, but yesterday a judge launched a blistering attack on the modern practice by some men of calling their wife their 'partner'. A wife is a wife, he said, and to call her otherwise is to 'downgrade marriage'.

Cohabiting rights bad for women, says family law chief (23 November No.9.44)
A ‘divorce' law for cohabiting couples would harm children and strip couples of their right to live as they wish, a leading family lawyer has said reports the Daily Mail and the Times. It would also deal a blow to feminism and provide a bonanza for lawyers as couples look to grab a share of each other’s wealth, according to Baroness Deech. The Law Commission, the Government’s legal advisory body, has recommended that former live-in partners should be made to pay maintenance in the same way as divorcees if there are children from the relationship or if the couple have been living together for two years. However, Lady Deech, who is head of the barristers’ regulator, the Bar Standards Board, warned that such a law would invite blackmail and bullying from former partners. She added it ‘would be a windfall for lawyers but for no one else except the gold digger’. Labour is thought likely to bring in the law if it wins another term and Tory leaders are also sympathetic to the idea.


Couples to get marriage counselling on the NHS (23 November No.9.44)
Doctors and patients have condemned plans for couples who hit a 'rocky patch' to get free marriage guidance on the cash-strapped NHS according to the Daily Mail. Health secretary Andy Burnham will announce later this week that couples with relationship problems will be offered free counselling for up to six months. The controversial plans are part of a £270million programme to tackle depression.

Charities call for relationship aid (30 November No.9.45)
The government has been urged to put services that tackle relationship breakdown in every children's centre and school, and to train health and social care workers to handle relationship issues. The proposals, seen exclusively by CYP Now, have been set out by family charity coalition Kids in the Middle in a briefing expected to inform the forthcoming families and relationships green paper. Consisting of 29 of the country's leading family charities and children's organisations, the coalition wants any changes in family policy to be underpinned by a set of government principles akin to Every Child Matters, called Every Family Matters, based on consultation with parents, children and extended families.

Tories to ask: are you married? (30 November No.9.45)
Official forms will routinely demand to know whether a person is married under Conservative plans to promote stable families reports the Times. Chris Grayling, the Shadow Home Secretary, claimed that, under Labour, marriage had become a “non official institution”. In an interview with The Sunday Times, he pledged that a future Tory government would make it a priority to raise the status of married life. He said “Marriage has almost disappeared from official forms …That needs to change.”

Only two in three children have married parents (7 December No.9.46)
The number of children being brought up by married parents has fallen to a historic low, official figures reveal says the Daily Mail. Fewer than two in three grow up in a traditional family compared to nearly three quarters of children when Labour came to power. The revelation comes only days after the head of the Government's family pressure group claimed that the state should not try to preserve the traditional family.
The figures, published by the Office for National Statistics in its annual report, Social Trends, found there were 8.3million dependent children living with married parents - a fall of 1.3million since 1997. At the same time, the number of dependent children - defined as those under 16 or aged up to 18 if they are still in school - in cohabiting households went up from one million to 1.7million, while those staying with single parents rose from 2.7million to 3.2million.


Research and Public Opinion

How marriage helps men off the dole and back into work (19 October No.9.39)
Being married is more important than education or having a mortgage in helping the unemployed get back to work, a study revealed says the Daily Mail. It found married men are 33 per cent more likely to find a job after being made redundant than those who are single or divorced. And it revealed being married was more important to finding work than having A-levels, which improved chances by 22 per cent, or a degree, which increased chances by 27 per cent. Having a mortgage also improved chances by 27 per cent. The study, by the Office for National Statistics and published in Economic & Labour Market Review, looked at the work histories of 2,368 men between 1991 and 2006, which were recorded in the British Household Panel Survey.

What women want (19 October No.9.39)
The recent study published by the Centre for Policy Studies on “What women want” based on an extensive YouGov poll contains an excellent chapter on marriage and cohabitation as viewed by women, and the conclusions of the report are wide ranging.
“Our work-centred culture is based on a fundamental conundrum: the economy depends on workers, while society depends on carers. Women, in particular, are torn. Only by resolving it will we create the conditions for a society in which adults fulfil their potential as professionals, partners and parents. Both the Labour Government and its supporters … should listen to real women ………………..
"Finally, we need to break the stranglehold that a small coterie of women who work fulltime and buy into the macho way of life, enjoy on our public life. They have, for years, misrepresented real women who reject the masculine value system for one that rates caring above a career, and interdependence above independence.
"Real women do not want to commit full time to a job. Real women do not see that as the route to self-realisation. They recognise that there is far more to life than a healthy profit or a great deal. Material woman, who apes material man, is over. The economy cannot sustain her, society feels betrayed by her. The future belongs to the real woman, who points to a lifestyle embracing feminine values. Let’s hope this Government – or the next – is brave enough to heed her call.”

Only six in ten children share a home with both parents (19 October No.9.39)
Only six in ten children live with both parents, the survey of youngsters has shown says the Daily Mail. The data, covering 12 to 15-year-olds, highlights how family structures have changed in the space of a generation. In 1990, three-quarters of children reported living with both their mother and father. Now, around a fifth live in single-parent households, most with their mother. Four per cent share their time equally between their mother and father's home, while 15 per cent live with a parent and step-parent. The other 1 per cent live in care or with foster parents.

Housework Pays Off Between the Sheets (26 October No.9.40)
Housework may seem like the ultimate romance-killer. But guess what? A new study shows that for husbands and wives alike, the more housework you do, the more often you are likely to have sex with your spouse reports the Wall Street Journal. Earlier studies have hinted at this connection for men; the sight of a husband mopping the floor or doing dishes sparks affection in the hearts of many wives. But the more-housework-equals-more-sex link for wives, documented in a study of 6,877 married couples published online recently in the Journal of Family Issues, is a surprise.

Raising Kids Makes Married People Happier: New Study (2 November No.9.41)
Having children improves married peoples' life satisfaction and the more they have, the happier they are says a report in Medical News Today. For unmarried individuals, raising children has little or no positive effect on their happiness. These findings (1) by Dr. Luis Angeles from the University of Glasgow in the UK have just been published online in Springer's Journal of Happiness Studies.

A promising strategy for strengthening families (16 November No.9.43)
A new paper summarising the progress made in the US with the Healthy Marriage Initiative concludes: “The experience and research strongly suggest that marriage and relationship education is an essential part of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen low-income families. Such a strategy has three components that, like a three-legged stool, stand or fall together:
  • Providing family economic resources and supports through income and in-kind support programs;
  • Creating human capital through education, training and employment services;
  • Helping individuals create and sustain strong family ties by offering them access to the information, attitudes and relationship skills they need to be effective parents and partners.

PAIRS Study: Relationship Skills Training Prevents Four Out of Five Divorces
(30 November No.9.45)
Four in five couples on the brink of divorce achieve lasting improvements from participation in 9 - 12 hours of relationship skills classes, according to a study by the non-profit PAIRS Foundation. Seth Eisenberg, President and CEO of the U.S.A. PAIRS Foundation, says the study has important implications for the public and policy makers. "We now know we can dramatically reduce the cycle of family breakdown and save marriages by encouraging couples to participate in brief relationship skills classes that teach emotional literacy, communication skills, and healthy conflict resolution."

Marriage good news for mental health, but separation and divorce have negative impacts (21 December No.9.48)
According to a major international study (also covered in the Daily Mail) across 15 countries and 34,493 people, getting married is positive for the mental health of both men and women, resulting in reduced risks of the likelihood of most mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse. By contrast, ending marriage through separation, divorce or being widowed, is associated with substantially increased risk of mental health disorders in both genders; particularly substance abuse for women and depression for men. The wide-ranging study led by clinical psychologist Dr Kate Scott from the University of Otago Wellington is based on the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) surveys across developing and developed countries in the past decade.

Facebook fuelling divorce, research claims (21 December No.9.48)
Facebook is being cited in almost one in five of online divorce petitions, Divorce-Online have claimed reports the Telegraph and the Daily Mail. The social networking site, which connects old friends and allows users to make new ones online, is being blamed for an increasing number of marital breakdowns.


Faith and Spirituality

When2Pray Prayer Challenge (7 December No.9.46)
The When2Pray network, which works to encourage couples to pray together, has launched a seven week “Prayer Challenge” starting in early January – to learn more watch their video
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Old 24th December 2009, 04:06 AM   #5
Ageing Grace
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Posts: 738
Re: Quarterly "news" about marriage

Wow, Dave, that's a trigger-packed newsletter!

The item that made me gasp in horror was this:
Quote:
Real women do not want to commit full time to a job.
The report contained lots of fascinating information - and highlighted issues our society is still failing to address. But what's that about? I don't find household management anything like as interesting as my job. Am I not, then, a real woman??!

And my inner pedant can't resist pointing out this:
Quote:
Only two in three children have married parents
means the same as this:
Quote:
Only six in ten children share a home with both parents
Yup, that's the same 60% making two headlines! How about:
Quote:
More than half of UK families stay together, children growing up with both parents


Thanks, as ever. Happy Christmas!
AG
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Old 9th November 2010, 12:01 PM   #6
chosen
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Re: Quarterly "news" about marriage

Quote:
Originally Posted by devena View Post
Dear thank you for providing this kind of information regarding marriage laws but before that we need one more thing that is we should know about the person we are marring. For that now a days we are having marriage investigating teams. So first contact then and then talk about the marriage law.
If we need to investigate them, because of lack of trust, then we shoudnt be marrying them anyway.
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Old 9th November 2010, 02:01 PM   #7
Raymond
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Posts: 6,409
Re: Quarterly "news" about marriage

I've never read these reports on here before.

I must get back to schools visiting.

What they really say to me is that the word of God concerning marriage is true. We break that word at our own peril. Even if we don't believe the word still works for or against us.
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Old 16th June 2011, 06:51 PM   #8
Raymond
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Re: Quarterly "news" about marriage

I found this research an eye opener to me:

David Popenoe, PhD
Professor of Sociology
Rutgers University
U.S.A.

The idea is spreading that, if a child has two parents, it makes no difference whether or not those parents are married. Parents are parents, the argument goes, regardless of the possession by some of what is referred to as "just a piece of paper"--the marriage license. But this idea is far from the truth. In general, the relationship of married parents differs significantly from that of unmarried cohabiting parents, and the difference has substantial consequences both for the couple and for their children.

It has been found that the two groups have quite different preferences and expectations. Compared to the marrieds, the unmarrieds have:

A lower level of commitment to each other, and less reluctance to consider a possible breakup

A shorter time horizon in their life planning

Less merging of their financial, social, emotional, and work lives

Less sexual exclusivity

Associated with this difference, according to numerous studies, are the following facts. The unmarrieds:

Are 50% more likely to break up

Have much higher rates of spousal abuse

Live at a lower economic level

Have lower levels of happiness (both men and women), and derive fewer physical and mental health benefits from the relationship

Receive less help from their extended families

Have worse sex lives

The consequences of these circumstances for children are remarkable. The children of unmarried parents:

Have fewer economic resources
Receive less parenting from their fathers

Face a much greater risk of parental break-up, leading to two to three times the risk of having serious social problems when they become adolescents and young adults, such as juveniles delinquency and teenage out-of-wedlock childbearing
If the father is biologically unrelated to the child, which is much more often the case in unmarried families, the child is no better off than living with a single mother. And, compared to a child living with two natural parents, the child is much more in danger of being seriously abused both sexually and physically.

It is estimated that almost half of children growing up today will spend some time living with an unmarried, cohabiting couple. This should be considered a national tragedy. For our nation's children, one of the worst things that could befall them would be a continuation of the current shift away from marriage.
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Old 16th June 2011, 09:20 PM   #9
Dave
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Posts: 1,576
Re: Quarterly "news" about marriage

Hi Raymond

Do you have a link for that to save me searching, please

Thanks

Dave
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Old 17th June 2011, 07:59 AM   #10
Raymond
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Re: Quarterly "news" about marriage

There you go Dave.

http://parenthood.library.wisc.edu/P...e-Married.html
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