Kerby Anderson

If you visited New York City more than a decade ago, you likely saw this sign on buses or on subway cars. “If you finish high school, get a job, and get married before having children, you have a 98% chance of not being in poverty.”

That phrase may sound familiar since I have mentioned it in previous commentaries. It is known as the “success sequence” that was first articulated by two scholars at the Brookings Institution. It has been repeated by authors and social scientists many times since.

Jason Riley mentions it in a recent Wall Street Journal commentary because he points to the evidence that the “biggest root cause of crime is fatherlessness.” He reminds us that America’s crime debate tends to focus on various root causes, like poverty and joblessness. Though that may be a partial explanation, the real problem is the lack of two-parent families.

A research paper from the Institute for Family Studies acknowledged that economic conditions play a role in criminal behavior. However, the authors argue that family instability may be the biggest factor. And they also add that factor isn’t receiving the attention it deserves.

“Cities are safer when two-parent families are dominant and more crime-ridden when family instability is common,” the authors write. Nationwide, the total crime rate is higher in cities “that have above the median share of single-parent families, compared to cities that have fewer single-parent families.”

The study concludes that we need to develop cultural incentives that favor marriage and stable families. This is where I believe the church can make a difference. We need pastors and Christian leaders to use their platforms to promote marriage and sexual responsibility.