Even thinking about marriage gets young people to straighten up

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/osu-eta072716.php

Public Release: 27-Jul-2016
Even thinking about marriage gets young people to straighten up
Less delinquency for those who expect to marry within 5 years
Ohio State University

You don't have to get married to settle down and leave behind your wild ways - you just have to expect to get married soon.

Researchers found that teenagers and young adults who expected to get married within the next five years reported committing fewer delinquent acts in the next year than those who weren't thinking about wedding bells.

While other studies have shown that people commit fewer crimes when they get married, this is the first to show that people straighten up their act even before they tie the knot.

"You may start to act married even before the wedding," said Rachel Arocho, lead author of the study and a research fellow in human development and family science at The Ohio State University.

The results show the importance of marriage in today's society, even though many Americans are delaying the relationship milestone until they're older.

•••••