The Chicago Juvenile Protective Association, however, has made a study of 89 forced marriages which were brought about in connection with bastardy proceedings.  In this study there is no attempt to differentiate as to the amount of unwillingness that had had to be overcome on the part of either the man or the woman.  Fifty-three of the women said that the marriage had been entered into willingly on their part.  Sixty of them stated that they were well treated by their husbands, and only five complained of abuse or unkindness.  Out of the 89 marriages brought about after proceedings were instituted 69 of the couples were still living together from one to two years later, although 20, or nearly one in five, had separated before the two-year period was over.[22]

A young woman with four small children was given advice by an associated charities about her approaching confinement, and no further inquiry was made at that time.  She was living apart from her husband, who was contributing a small amount regularly.  The income was inadequate and it was decided to push the matter further.  Efforts to verify the marriage failed.  Finally, a tactful worker was able to learn that the ceremony had not taken place until after the birth of the first three children, that the couple had had sexual relations since the woman was a girl of fifteen, and that her relatives had never known the true state of affairs.  The man’s mother finally interfered, and urged her son not to live with his wife.  After much careful work, and with the assistance of a co-operating priest, a plan was worked out which brought the couple together and induced them to move away from the region in which the man’s parents lived.

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A probation department tells of a case where, although the man was unwilling to marry, a court marriage was brought about; the man made his payments promptly and observed the other conditions of his probation faithfully.  The woman, however, was indifferent to any efforts to bring about a reconciliation.  It was finally discovered that she was immoral.  The case culminated in the securing of a divorce by the man, who was granted the custody of the children.

The same department submits a story where good results were obtained in subsequently reconciling, after a desertion, a couple whose marriage had been of the forced description.  The probation department arranged for the couple to live apart in the early stage of probationary treatment.  A careful study was made of each of the individuals, and in their sincere attachment a basis was discovered for re-establishment of the home under the supervision of the probation officer.  Five years later the man was found to be at work at the same position originally obtained for him by the probation officer, his salary had been increased, the family had grown in number and were getting on extremely well.