Single Parenting
Single Parenting
Single-parent families are very common in today’s world. Two-parent families can no longer be seen as the traditional families because today, more than 30% of families in the United States are headed by a single parent. Despite different racial and ethnic groups, the number of children that live in a home with two parents has been declining over the years. Of course single parent households are faced with many challenges and difficulties for both the parent and the child, but the children brought up in these circumstances can and do strive in society. A single parent is a parent raising one or more children, where the children do not live with any other parent. A child being brought up in a single-mother home is a lot more common than those in a single father home. Of all custodial parents, it has been found that 85% are mothers and 15% are fathers. There are several causes for these single-parent households. Of the number of children living with one parent: 38% live with a divorced parent; 35% with a parent who has never been married; 19% with a parent who is separated; 4% with a widowed parent; and 4% with a parent who’s spouse lives somewhere else due to work, or some reason or another. Family structure does contribute to certain characteristics of a child’s well being. When compared to children raised in a household of two parents, children raised in a single parent home are at greater risk for a number of less desirable outcomes. Such outcomes would include, that a low number of children between the ages of 15 and 17 are in school and in good health. There are an increasing amount of children these ages becoming pregnant. After reading much research it has been found that depression, difficulties in school, and emotional stress all coincide with children who have gone through divorce with their parents. Children that come from families with one parent rather than two, are three times more likely to be depressed. Criminal activity in
Single-parent families are very common in today’s world. Two-parent families can no longer be seen as the traditional families because today, more than 30% of families in the United States are headed by a single parent. Despite different racial and ethnic groups, the number of children that live in a home with two parents has been declining over the years. Of course single parent households are faced with many challenges and difficulties for both the parent and the child, but the children brought up in these circumstances can and do strive in society. A single parent is a parent raising one or more children, where the children do not live with any other parent. A child being brought up in a single-mother home is a lot more common than those in a single father home. Of all custodial parents, it has been found that 85% are mothers and 15% are fathers. There are several causes for these single-parent households. Of the number of children living with one parent: 38% live with a divorced parent; 35% with a parent who has never been married; 19% with a parent who is separated; 4% with a widowed parent; and 4% with a parent who’s spouse lives somewhere else due to work, or some reason or another. Family structure does contribute to certain characteristics of a child’s well being. When compared to children raised in a household of two parents, children raised in a single parent home are at greater risk for a number of less desirable outcomes. Such outcomes would include, that a low number of children between the ages of 15 and 17 are in school and in good health. There are an increasing amount of children these ages becoming pregnant. After reading much research it has been found that depression, difficulties in school, and emotional stress all coincide with children who have gone through divorce with their parents. Children that come from families with one parent rather than two, are three times more likely to be depressed. Criminal activity in
Cited: A Single Parents Network - Support & Resources for Single Mothers, Single Fathers & Step Parents. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. <http://singleparentsnetwork.com/>. "Effects of Single Parenting - Positive Effects of Single Parenting." Single Parents - Help, Support, and Encouragement for Single Parents. Web. 19 Mar. 2010. <http://singleparents.about.com/od/familyrelationships/tp/raised_single.htm>.