Topic: Cohabitation, a bane.

INTRODUCTION
Attention Getter: In Europe, the Scandinavian countries have been the first to start this leading
trend. Currently, cohabitation in Latin America is very common, especially for young people. It
has the highest rates of non-marital childbearing in the world, 5574% of all children in this
region are born to unmarried parents.
Purpose: To persuade our audience to consider the cons of cohabitation before getting into one.
Importance to Audience: Cohabitation or the most commonly used phrase, live-in relationship
means a living arrangement in which an unmarried couple lives together in a long-term
relationship that resembles a marriage. It is currently an upcoming social trend in most countries.
Younger generation of today are more interested in cohabitation.
Thesis Statement: The negative effects of cohabitation on couples who cohabitate, family and
society.
(Transition: To start off, we will explain negative effects of cohabitation.)
BODY
I. First Main Point: This is not a permanent relationship.
a. Subpoint: Cohabiting is like living with no certainty.
b. Subpoint: Cohabitating couples have this thinking of giving up the relationship if they think
that it should be over.
c. Subpoint: Lack of responsibility.
d. Subpoint: Unlike in a married relationship, two parties are bound with the responsibilities and
bound with a promise to each other.
II. Second Main Point: There is emotional security issue.
a. Subpoint: fear of the partner leaving out of the blue will be constantly haunting those who in
cohabitation.
b. Subpoint: Cohabitating couples have this thinking of giving up the relationship if they think
that it should be over.
c. Subpoint: Staying together can make the couple used to each other.
d. Subpoint: After a break up, a sudden lonely life can be heart breaking.
III. Third Main Point: May take away the excitement after marriage.
a. Subpoint: takes away all the little surprises your relationship has in store.
b. Subpoint: almost nothing new to discover about partner.
c. Subpoint: get bored with the relationship.
d. Subpoint: ends up in a divorce after getting married.
IV. Fourth Main Point: Joint decisions may lead to legal issues.

a. Subpoint: Having jointly invested in property, chances to end up in legal complications if you
fall out of the relationship.
b. Subpoint: Suffer many financial losses as their unions are not recognized with the same legal
and financial benefits as those who are legally married.
.
V. Fifth Main Point: Societal criticism.
a. Subpoint: Majority of the population is yet to embrace couples who cohabitate.
b. Subpoint: People shun this sort of relationships as partners will engage in pre-marital sex
c. Subpoint: Produce children out of wedlock and children of this relationship may have the
same mentality who may influence children of families who are rather conservative.
d. Subpoint: Live-in relationships are still a cosmopolitan affair, and restricted to big cities.
VI. Sixth Main Point: Physical intimacy.
a. Subpoint: before marriage can be enjoyable for few months or years.
b. Subpoint: might get bored or tired of each other eventually.
c. Subpoint: if you don't stay with the same partner, the guilt of moving in together can be
depressing especially for a woman.
VII. Seventh Main Point: Domestic violence.
a. Subpoint: It is proven that cohabiters are much more vicious than the married couples.
b. Subpoint: Arguments will more likely lead to physical abuse.
c. Subpoint: Because men have this thinking that they are just engaging into that kind of
relationship because of the suitability of the relationship, while on the other hand, women think
that after that live-in relationship, they will be married.
VII. Eighth Main Point: Effect on the childrens psychology.
a. Subpoint: children born out of wedlock and allows any one of them in the relationship to
leave anytime, it may lead to the formation of broken families
b. Subpoint: Children are more likely to experience depression and suicidal attempts since they
are much prone to the involvement of their parents separation
c. Subpoint: Children from broken families usually have psychology disorders as well as attitude
problems.
(Transition: In conclusion,)
CONCLUSION
Summary Statement: Couples who cohabit may have reasons to do so like as to test to the
relationship, get to know each other better and so on. However, it is like taking a plunge into
some uncertainties even if there is an intention to take the relationship into marriage. All things
has its positive and negative effects. We believe the negative effects of cohabitations outweighs
the positive effects like you get to know each other better, able to test compatibility and as a
rehearsal for marriage.

Concluding Remarks: So as you can see, it is not a substitute to marriage because of its
negative effects on family, society and relationship with the partner.

Cohabitation, a bane.
Cohabitation or the most commonly used phrase, live-in relationship means a living
arrangement in which an unmarried couple lives together in a long-term relationship that
resembles a marriage. More common in the western countries than in Asian countries. Younger
generation of today is more interested in cohabitation. In Europe, the Scandinavian countries
have been the first to start this leading trend. Currently, cohabitation in Latin America is very
common, especially for young people. It has the highest rates of non-marital childbearing in the
world, 5574% of all children in this region are born to unmarried parents. In Malaysia, the
Muslims would be committing a pure form of modern adultery if they were to be in such
relationship. Therefore, the Muslims are prohibited from this kind of relationship. The common
reasons given by people who intend to cohabit are to test their compatibility before they commit
to a legal union, to maintain their single status for financial reasons, those involving gay or
lesbian couples where the law does not allow them to marry, individuals who are already married
to another person or when the partners may feel that marriage is unnecessary. It is currently an
upcoming social trend in most countries. However, along with cohabitation there are negative
effects on couples who cohabitate, family and society.
As we know cohabitation is not a permanent relationship. It is like living with no
certainty. So what are you going to expect if there is no really a true responsibility with the other
half? One of the problems that arise in a cohabiting relationship is the lack of responsibility.
Cohabiting couples experience more of dissatisfaction than married couples, simply because,
partners who just cohabitate have this thinking of giving up the relationship if they think that it
should be over. In just one blink, their relationship could be over. Unlike in a married
relationship, two parties are bound with the responsibilities and bound with a promise to each
other.
With the freedom of having to stay or leave in the relationship, there is emotional security
issue. The fear of the partner leaving out of the blue will be constantly haunting those who in
cohabitation. Staying together can make the couple used to each other. The habit of living with
your partner and then suddenly a lonely life can be heart breaking. Conflict is a part and parcel of
any relationship. As this relationship is not permanent, the couple can easily break up. Therefore,
there is no stability in a live in relationship and along with it there is no emotional security.
On top of that, cohabitation may take away the excitement after marriage. Live-in
couples who are considering marriage in the long run, this one is for you. Sometimes moving in
together may take away all the little surprises your relationship has in store for you once you
decide to get hitched. To simply put it, a live-in relationship may take away the excitement after
marriage.

According to the Journal of Marriage and Family, rapid sexual involvement may have
adverse long-term implications for relationship quality. This study examined the tempo of sexual
intimacy and subsequent relationship quality in a sample of married and cohabiting men and
women. Data come from the Marital and Relationship Survey in the United States of America,
which provides information on nearly 600 low-to-moderate-income couples living with minor
children. Over one third of respondents became sexually involved within the first month of the
relationship. Results suggested that delaying sexual involvement was associated with higher
relationship quality across several dimensions and that the speed of entry into sexual
relationships was negatively associated with marital quality, but only among women. Cohabiting
may result in poorer quality relationship.
As we share this world with other people, relationships like cohabitation will draw
societal criticism. Majority of the population is yet to embrace couples who choose this kind of
relationship arrangement. The older generations as well as religious people shun this sort of
relationships as people will engage in pre-marital sex which will produce children out of
wedlock. The society also has concerns like how this couple who cohabitates may influence their
children. As a matter of fact, live-in relationships are still a cosmopolitan affair, and restricted to
big cities.
When living together, there will many joint decisions made and there are some which
may lead to legal issues. If you have jointly invested in property with your partner, chances are
that you may end up in legal complications if you fall out of the relationship. Cohabiting couples
suffer many financial losses as their unions are not recognized with the same legal and financial
benefits as those who are legally married. These financial penalties can include the costs of
separate insurance policies.
Apart from all that, domestic violence is also one of the results that could be brought up
by living in together. The Family Violence Research Program at the University of New
Hampshire has proven that cohabiters are much more vicious than the married couples.
Specifically, the overall rate of violence for cohabiting couples is twice as high as for married
couples and the overall rate for severe violence is nearly five times as high. Men have this
thinking that they are just engaging into that kind of relationship because of the suitability of the
relationship, while on the other hand, women think that after that live-in relationship, they will
be married. In this case, the men has this higher- position than women. Arguments will more
likely lead to physical abuse mostly on women as well as on children who are also involved in
the live-in relationship.
Cohabitating also poses a negative effect on the childrens psychology. Since cohabitation
will lead to children born out of wedlock and allows any one of them in the relationship to leave
anytime, it may lead to the formation of broken families. Mostly the mothers of the child will
take full responsibility of their welfare due to their maternal instincts. Children whose parents are
just cohabiting are more likely to experience depression and suicidal attempts since they are
much prone to the involvement of their parents separation. In addition, studies have shown that
married fathers are more likely than cohabiting fathers to assist their children. The responsibility

comes within already. Children from broken families usually have psychology disorders as well
as attitude problems.

Conclusion
Couples who cohabit may have reasons to do so like as to test to the relationship, get to
know each other better and so on. However, it is like taking a plunge into some uncertainties
even if there is an intention to take the relationship into marriage. All things has its positive and
negative effects. We believe the negative effects of cohabitations outweighs the positive effects
like you get to know each other better, able to test compatibility and as a rehearsal for marriage.
So as you can see, it is not a substitute to marriage because of its negative effects on family,
society and relationship with the partner.
Support/Evidence
Journal of Marriage and Family, Volume 74, Issue 4, pages 708725, August 2012 Sharon
Sassler1, Fenaba R. Addo and Daniel T. Lichter
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND COHABITATION | Spiritual Side of Domestic Violence. 2015.
[ONLINE] Available at: https://ssofdv.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/domestic-violence-andcohabitation/. [Accessed 01 February 2016].
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