The most consistent, less nuanced finding is that being married is protective against most TE exposure. Given that our classification of being married did not include cohabitating couples in a marriage-like relationship, our estimates are likely to be conservative. Married people may spend less time outside the home, at later hours, unaccompanied, and in potentially vulnerable situations (such as parties or bars) than those never married. Consistent with this explanation, a survey conducted in 17 industrialized countries found that single individuals had double the risk of contact crime, and those who went out more frequently were 20% more vulnerable to crime (Van Kesteren et al. 2000). Additionally, married individuals may have more resources and consequently face fewer stressors such as living in unsafe communities than unmarried individuals. In our study, being married carried greater odds for being beaten up by a spouse/romantic partner and having a child with a serious illness, presumably because married people are more likely to have a spouse/partner or child in the first place.
