The effects of premarital education promotion policies on U.S. divorce rates
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12434786 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tiffany L Clyde (0000-0001-6838-8564, Brigham Young University, corresponding author), Jocelyn S Wikle (0000-0003-2112-5091, Brigham Young University), Alan J Hawkins (0000-0001-6475-802X, Brigham Young University), L James (0000-0003-3901-3880, Brigham Young University) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 105-120 |
| Publication date | 2019-12-12 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychology Public Policy and Law (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1076-8971 • E-ISSN: 1939-1528 |
| Publisher | American Psychological Association (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1037/law0000218 |
| OpenAlex | W2971487204 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 22 |
Currently, 10 states have enacted policies to promote premarital education and counseling. However, no research has documented whether these policies have actually decreased divorce rates in implementing states. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of premarital education promotion policies on divorce rates. First, we conducted an implementation study to understand how well each state implemented the policy. A combination of methods was used, including reviewing the legislative documents and archival records, as well as interviewing academics and key persons knowledgeable of the legislation. Following the implementation study, we conducted an evaluation study to analyze the effects of the policies on divorce rates. Divorce rate data were obtained from NCHS National Vital Statistics Reports (1988-2016) and analyzed using difference-in-difference estimation with state fixed effects. The results of the implementation study documented generally poor implementation; most implementing states had little formal, ongoing oversight of policy implementation. Results of the evaluation study suggest that simple passage of legislation was ineffective, but effectively implementing a policy was significantly associated with a .5% decrease in the divorce rate. Follow-up analyses, however, with an event history approach suggested that the policies have not had a discernible impact on divorce rates. We conclude with a discussion of the results of the implementation and evaluation studies and make suggestions for future policy efforts and research
Demographic economics · Economics · Political science · Promotion (chess · demographic modeling and climate adaptation · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Gender, Labor, and Family Dynamics · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology
The Case for Marriage
The implementation game
Understanding the Divorce Cycle
Does marriage and relationship education work? A meta-analytic study.
Premarital education, marital quality, and marital stability
Did Unilateral Divorce Laws Raise Divorce Rates? A Reconciliation and New Results
The Ecology of Human Development
Economic Costs and Policy Implications Associated With Divorce
Urie Bronfenbrenner's Theory of Human Development
Breaking Up Is Hard to Count
In search of how people change
The Effects of Divorce and Marital Discord on Adult Children's Psychological Well-being
Parental divorce and the well-being of children
Explaining the Intergenerational Transmission of Divorce
The Causal Effects of Father Absence
Estimating the Effects of Parental Divorce and Death With Fixed Effects Models
Research on Divorce
Parents' Union Dissolution and Adolescents' School Performance
Feeling Caught Between Parents
Parental Predivorce Relations and Offspring Postdivorce Well-Being
The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children
The long reach of divorce
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2024 (3) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |