Cohabitation: Is It Ideal for Society? (2025 Reanalysis by Marlon A. Medina)

In recent decades, cohabitation has become one of the most significant social shifts in modern family life. Once viewed as unconventional, it’s now regarded by many as a “trial run” before marriage or a practical substitute for it. But as the rates continue to rise, so do the questions surrounding its long-term impact on individuals, children, and society.

As advocates for stronger families and safer communities, organizations like the Stop The Traffic Foundation (STTF) have begun re-examining these trends, not from a moral standpoint, but from a public health and child-welfare perspective. STTF’s mission to understand and prevent cycles of abuse and exploitation includes studying how unstable family structures, often present in cohabiting environments, can correlate with emotional neglect, domestic violence, and intergenerational trauma.

This analysis revisits earlier sociological insights and integrates new data to explore whether cohabitation truly promotes personal growth—or if, beneath the surface, it contributes to instability, abuse, and the weakening of social bonds.

It also builds upon my original 2017 publication, “Cohabitation: Is It Ideal for Society?”, produced during my undergraduate studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, which first examined the cultural and psychological dimensions of cohabiting unions.

Eight years later, with access to updated research and broader social context, this continuation aims to re-evaluate those findings through the lens of child welfare, public health, and family stability.

1. The Rise of Cohabitation

According to the Pew Research Center (2023), nearly three-quarters of adults aged 18–44 in the United States have lived with an unmarried partner at some point. The normalization of cohabitation has been driven by shifting cultural values, economic uncertainty, and declining marriage rates. Yet, the assumption that cohabitation strengthens future marriages has not held up under empirical scrutiny.

Studies show that cohabiting relationships are less stable, and couples who live together before marriage have a 15–20% higher likelihood of divorce (National Center for Health Statistics, 2021). This pattern, often called “the cohabitation effect,” has persisted even when controlling for socioeconomic and educational differences.

2. Psychological Mechanisms: Relationship Inertia

Many couples report “sliding” into cohabitation rather than deciding on it intentionally. Psychologists refer to this as relationship inertia—the phenomenon where the practical and emotional investments of living together make it harder to leave, even when the relationship is unhealthy (Stanley, Rhoades, & Markman, 2018).

Once entangled by shared leases, finances, or social expectations, partners may remain in toxic or abusive relationships due to sunk cost reasoning—the fear that “it’s too late to walk away.”
These dynamics create conditions where domestic abuse can escalate unnoticed and unreported, particularly among younger and lower-income households (U.S. Department of Justice, 2022).

3. The Impact on Children

Cohabitation has ripple effects beyond the couple. Children raised in cohabiting households experience higher rates of family instability, neglect, and emotional insecurity compared to those in married two-parent homes (Institute for Family Studies, 2023).

Frequent transitions, such as a parent’s partner moving in or out, are linked to increased behavioral issues, school difficulties, and mental health struggles. Over time, this instability erodes the sense of belonging and safety that children need to thrive.

STTF’s advocacy emphasizes the importance of recognizing these patterns early to break cycles of neglect and prevent environments where exploitation can take root.

4. Broader Social Consequences

Beyond the household level, widespread cohabitation fosters a culture of temporary attachment and emotional detachment. Sociologists describe this as “relationship consumerism,” where relationships are viewed as experiences rather than commitments (Carroll, 2020).

This mindset encourages impulsivity, weakens empathy, and contributes to social fragmentation. When stable families decline, communities experience higher levels of loneliness, poverty, and social distrust, all of which are conditions that make vulnerable populations, especially children, more susceptible to abuse and trafficking.

5. Cohabitation and the Public Health Lens

Viewing cohabitation through a public health framework allows researchers and policymakers to assess it not as a moral issue, but as a social risk factor. One that intersects with mental health, domestic violence, and community well-being.

STTF and other child-advocacy organizations are calling for greater longitudinal research into how family structure, attachment, and instability contribute to cycles of abuse. The ultimate goal is to use this data to inform preventive education, early intervention programs, and stronger social support systems for at-risk families.

6. Conclusion – A Call for Awareness and Research

Cohabitation, while culturally normalized, has not delivered on its promise of healthier, more adaptable unions. Instead, data suggest it has contributed to higher rates of relational breakdown, abuse, and emotional instability. These issues affect not only couples but the children who grow up in those environments—and, by extension, the social fabric at large.

The Stop The Traffic Foundation continues to advocate for transparent data collection and public awareness regarding the psychological and social impacts of unstable family environments.
By understanding how these domestic dynamics contribute to cycles of trauma and vulnerability, we can better protect future generations from abuse, exploitation, and neglect.

Informed love builds safe families, and safe families build stronger societies.

References

• Carroll, J. S. (2020). Marriage and Cohabitation Trends in Modern America. Journal of Family Life Studies.

• Institute for Family Studies. (2023). Family instability and child well-being: Recent findings. Retrieved from https://ifstudies.org

• Medina, M. A. (2017). Cohabitation: Is It Ideal for Society? [Prezi presentation]. University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

• National Center for Health Statistics. (2021). National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) Report on Marital Stability.

• Pew Research Center. (2023). Marriage and Cohabitation in the U.S.: Trends, Attitudes, and Behaviors.

• Stanley, S. M., Rhoades, G. K., & Markman, H. J. (2018). Sliding vs. deciding: Inertia in cohabiting relationships. Journal of Family Psychology, 32(8), 1063–1075.

• U.S. Department of Justice. (2022). Intimate Partner Violence: 1994–2022 Statistical Trends.