The Effects of Parental Separation on Children

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a family is “a group of two or more people who reside together and who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption” (U.S. Census Bureau). Though this definition seems straightforward, it is important to recognize that not all families fit this clear-cut definition. In fact, across the past four decades, the patterns of family structure have changed dramatically in the United States. A rise in the numbers of children born outside of marriage, and increase in divorce rates have contributed to the triple increase in proportion to the children growing up in a single parent household since 1960. Most researchers agree with the notion that, on average, children are benefitted most when raised by their two biological and married parents, who have low conflict relationships (Parke). Income changes, paternal absence, and poor maternal mental health are all adverse outcomes that are commonly linked to parental separation, however, studies show that the majority of children in single parent families grow up without serious problems.
Single-parent families are much more common today than they were half a century ago. Rates have increased across both race and income groups, but single parenthood is more prevalent among African Americans and Hispanics (Parke). Twenty-two percent of African American children were raised by a single parent in 1960; by 2010, the percentage had more than doubled to 63%. As for Caucasian families, the percentage nearly tripled, from 7 to 21 percent, over the same time period. As of December 2012, according to The Washington Times, the portion of families where children have both parents, as opposed to one, has dropped tremendously over the past decade. Moreover, even as the country added 160,000 families with children, the number of two-parent households decreased by 1.2 million. Fifteen million American children, or 1 in 3, live without a father, and nearly 5 million live without a mother. In 1960, just 11