According to research conducted by the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University, cohabiting unions tend to weaken the institution of marriage and pose clear and present dangers for women and children. Cohabitation greatly increases the risk of child abuse, whether the biological parents are cohabiting or the mother is cohabiting with a boyfriend. Both conditions rank very high on the risk scale, but the environment in which a child lives with the mother's cohabiting boyfriend is by far the worst.
Similar risks apply in cases of fatal child abuse.
The overwhelming number of child deaths occurred in households in which the child's biological mother was cohabiting with someone who was unrelated to the child. This research suggests that cohabitation is a much greater risk factor for domestic violence than marriage because relationship ties tend to be weaker within cohabitation compared with marriage. Major world religions throughout history have viewed marriage as a solemn and sacred bond. Social science research supports the importance of marriage as it provides the intimacy and support that make for healthy individuals and a stable, successful society. For the safety and health of women, children and men, MFI urges couples to pursue marriage, as well as thoughtful, deliberate pre-marital counseling.