Children of Plural Marriages: A First Empirical Look

While public opinion arguably seems to be moving (albeit slowly) in the direction of favoring consensual adult relationships regardless of numerosity,¹ courts both domestic and abroad are still somewhat worried that when we discuss plural marriage what we are really concerned about is third-party harm, specifically harm to children. Leaving aside both the constitutional and regulatory questions involved in legalizing plural marriage, this chapter will begin by addressing some of the common assumptions and misconceptions regarding plural marriage and children from both a legal and social perspective, and then review the first empirical study responding to and rebutting some a