1970: The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 87 percent of American homes are headed by married couples.

1990s: With an ascending divorce rate, an increase in out-of-wedlock births, and rising average age for marriage, the number of two parent families drops to 55 3 percent by 1990.

1970: 37,990 rapes are reported in the United States during the year.

1990s: 109,060 reports of rape are recorded during 1992. This number, almost three times the 1970 figure, is only partly offset by a 28 percent rise in the country's population during the same period.

1970: 89.3 percent of children born In the United States during 1970 are born to married parents. Having children outside marriage carries a social stigma for the mother. Some critics suspect that when Connie's mother asks her daughter, "What's this about the Pettinger girl?" she is alluding to a rumor that a schoolmate of Connie's may be pregnant.

19905: The percentage of children born into...