Effects of Single Parenthood on Children
Assignment 2
CRJ
Single Parent Households
Strayer University
Joann Brown
People claimed that growing up in a fatherless or motherless home was the major cause of child poverty, delinquency, and school failure, while others denied that single parenthood had any harmful effects. And some objected even to discussing the topic for fear of stigmatizing single mothers or fathers and their children.
Not talking about single parenthood is scarcely an option. More than half of the children born in 1994 will spend some or all of their childhood with only one parent, typically their mother. If current patterns hold, they will likely experience higher rates of poverty, school failure, and other problems as they grow up. The long-range consequences could have enormous implications. (Article/consequences-single-motherhood familyinequality.wordpress)
But what exactly are the consequences -- how large and concentrated among what groups? Do they depend on whether a single mother is widowed, divorced, or never married? Does public support for single mothers inadvertently increase the number of women who get divorced or choose to have a baby on their own?
Children who grow up with only one of their biological parents (nearly always the mother) are disadvantaged across a broad array of outcomes. They are twice as likely to drop out of high school, 2.5 times as likely to become teen mothers, and 1.4 times as likely to be idle -- out of school and out of work -- as children who grow up with both parents. Children in one-parent families also have lower grade point averages, lower college aspirations, and poorer attendance records. As adults, they have higher rates of divorce. These patterns persist even after adjusting for differences in race, parents' education, number of siblings, and residential location. (Article/consequences-single-motherhood familyinequality.wordpress)
The evidence, however, does not show that family disruption is the principal cause of high school
CRJ
Single Parent Households
Strayer University
Joann Brown
People claimed that growing up in a fatherless or motherless home was the major cause of child poverty, delinquency, and school failure, while others denied that single parenthood had any harmful effects. And some objected even to discussing the topic for fear of stigmatizing single mothers or fathers and their children.
Not talking about single parenthood is scarcely an option. More than half of the children born in 1994 will spend some or all of their childhood with only one parent, typically their mother. If current patterns hold, they will likely experience higher rates of poverty, school failure, and other problems as they grow up. The long-range consequences could have enormous implications. (Article/consequences-single-motherhood familyinequality.wordpress)
But what exactly are the consequences -- how large and concentrated among what groups? Do they depend on whether a single mother is widowed, divorced, or never married? Does public support for single mothers inadvertently increase the number of women who get divorced or choose to have a baby on their own?
Children who grow up with only one of their biological parents (nearly always the mother) are disadvantaged across a broad array of outcomes. They are twice as likely to drop out of high school, 2.5 times as likely to become teen mothers, and 1.4 times as likely to be idle -- out of school and out of work -- as children who grow up with both parents. Children in one-parent families also have lower grade point averages, lower college aspirations, and poorer attendance records. As adults, they have higher rates of divorce. These patterns persist even after adjusting for differences in race, parents' education, number of siblings, and residential location. (Article/consequences-single-motherhood familyinequality.wordpress)
The evidence, however, does not show that family disruption is the principal cause of high school