In light of this research, it appears that children born to cohabiting couples are more likely to be raised by parents who will eventually separate, given the decline in engagement and the ease with which their parents can terminate. the relationship because it is not legally binding. As mentioned earlier, one of the benefits of marriage to society is having a stable environment for raising children. However, cohabitation, which is a much more flexible commitment than marriage and with fewer guarantees, is gradually becoming an American cultural norm. If this trend continues, it could result in more children being raised in single and potentially unstable households, with parents who may not have a long-term commitment to each other. This event makes children more vulnerable to the negative consequences mentioned above, further highlighting the need to promote marriage and marriage stability. The importance of marital stability for children's well-being may not be unique to American families. In Canada, the type of family composition in which a child is raised has a significant effect on adolescent smoking (Razaz-Rahmati, Nourian, & Okoli, 2011). Adolescents raised in two-parent households have lower smoking rates than those raised in single-parent households (Razaz-Rahmati et al., 2011). Furthermore, parental marital status influences adolescent pregnancy in South and South Africa; those raised in intact families had a lower teen pregnancy rate than those raised in single-parent families (Ugoji, 2011). Spain has seen a 76.05% increase in the number of single-parent households since 2009 (Navarro-Galera et al., 2013). As a result of this increase, single-parent families are economically disadvantaged and continue...... middle of paper ...... than those raised in a single-parent household, an unmarried household, or a cohabiting household, for example, have negative correlations with children's behavioral well-being and increased infant mortality rates (Ryan, 2012). Overall, divorce has negative consequences not only for spouses, but also for children and society as a whole. Children's academic success and choices are also influenced by parents' marital status. Bulanda and Manning (2008) found that children with cohabiting parents were less likely to graduate from high school than children raised in married families. Additionally, children born to unmarried parents were more likely to have sex at a younger age and experience pregnancy during adolescence (Bulanda & Manning, 2008). These are just some of the consequences of a society where children are born to single parents, and may provide insight into what could happen if this trend continues...