Single parent
From Free net encyclopedia
A single parent is a parent with one or more children, who is/are not living with the child's/children's other parents. The definition of single parenthood may vary according to local laws of nations or provinces. But in typical cases, a parent may be left alone after divorce, after abandonment by the other parent, separation from the other parent, by the jailing of the other parent or after the other parent has died. A single parent not need be the natural mother or father of the child (children) as some individuals choose to become single parents through natural or artificial insemination, adoption or they may have taken on the role of parent as neither the child's mother or father are able to care for it. In some countries, teenage single parents have become a serious social issue (see also teenage pregnancy).
In most cases the mother retains custody of her child or children, although the father usually obtains custody in Islamic republics,(Pakistan being a notable exception). Among divorced single parents in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 15% of custodial parents in 2002 were men.
While many view single parents as being a modern phenomenon the percentage of single parents has remained relatively constant. For instance in 1900 13% of Canadian families were single parent ones; in 1996 the number was 14%. The major change is in cause. In 1900 most single parent families were the result of the death of a parent, while in 1996 they were usually caused by divorce.
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Single Parent and Child Outcomes in the U.S.A
Today in the United States, being raised by a single parent is not uncommon. About three in ten children live in a single parent home. The most common type of single parent home is one with only a mother. However, single father homes are the fastest growing type of family situation. The amount of single fathers has grown by 60% in the last ten years alone. This is mainly due to some sort of disaster that has happened to the loved one. This causes the single parent to be financially burdened due to the fact that one of the "breadwinners" has just been lost.
Growing Up In a Single Parent Home
Statistically, children in single parent homes fare worse than those with two parents. In the United States, family structure contributes to five characteristics of a child’s well being. These include lower birthrates and higher death rates among infants when there is just one parent. Also, the number of children ages 15-17 in school and in good health is much lower, and the number of children becoming pregnant at these ages is increasing. However, children raised in single parent homes do worse than those with caregivers who can give the child attention in all areas, including academic, emotional, and health.
There are also signs that children who have gone through a divorce have problems with depression (mood), emotional stress, and difficulties in school. Problems like this however may not be because of the parent who raised them, but can be linked to other things that are also related to single parenting. When there is only one parent, the family is often less well off financially and this is the main reason for so many family problems. The effects of coming from a low-income family can be things like lower education levels, lower economic achievement and even leave the child isolated and lonely. Being a single parent and struggling for money often coincide, the consensus of research now suggests that family structure itself is the more significant variable.
Single parent homes are also associated with criminal activity in the U.S.A. Children from a single-parent household account for 72% of teenage murderers, 60% percent of people who commit rape crimes and are eleven times more likely to exhibit violent behavior. Reasons for this have to do with the fact that these children are generally less supervised, their actions are less monitored and there is usually less communication between the child and parent, and that most likely they come from poor families (although the effect remains strong even controlling for income).
Growing Up with a Single Mother
This is by far the most common instance of single parenting; in the U.S.A single mothers outnumber single fathers nine to one. The problems that single mothers face are that they have a harder time providing for their families because feminist studies conclude that women generally have lower paying jobs, though this is disputed and newer studies reveal that the wage-gap (also known as Income_disparity) is largely down to choice, not discrimination. So, they have all the problems that lower income families have, but they have to raise a child on top of it.
Even though women face self-inflicted greater financial problems, they tend to be more nurturing to the child by telling them they love them, hugging them, and showing affection towards them. There is a book by Peggy Drexler called, “Raising Boys Without Men”. Drexler is a feminist graduate of Stanford University in the U.S.A. and received a PhD in gender studies. She claims in this book that children would be better raised by lesbian couples or single mothers, rather than having any father in their life. She writes that without a father, children will be emotionally stronger, have a wider range of interests and friendships, and are more at ease during conflicts.
Some positive things that may be associated with being a single mother is that opposed to males they usually have a more extensive support system. They are often closer to friends and families who can help them through tough times and even be there to support the mother in raising her children. The negative effects are that because the woman chooses to make less money, she has to work longer hours, which leaves her with less time for her child.
Growing Up with a Single Father
In the U.S.A. fathers make up about 13% of single parents. These days fathers, married or single, have been changing their roles in the family setting. Today, they can be found more in helping kids in a classroom setting, they are involved in house chores, they help out in the kitchen and other previously considered “mother” roles. Before this, fathers just were not socialized to be primary caregivers, although of course many men did raise children on their own due to high rates of maternal death.
Men tend to have different positions in the work force, which in turn gives them higher salaries. So, some single men do not run into the economic issues that single women do. Fathers often do not communicate as well with their children as mothers do and this leads to children in the U.S. A. raised by just a father to be more likely to use marijuana and to have tried other illicit drugs, to have been drunk three or more times, and to have had sex at an earlier age. This does contradict the fact that most people think that fathers are stricter than mothers, however they tend to be less disciplinary than single mothers. Fathers can have a great influence on their child though, because the best way for a son to learn to be a good father is by watching his own.
Some biological factors that affect children living in a single father home are that females tend to reach menarche at an earlier age. One reason for this is that single- and two-parent families have different patterns of parental care resulting in differences in reproductive development. Also, social learning may account for developmental differences as father-absent girls model their mothers' sexual behavior and reproductive strategies may be heritable.
Helping Single Fathers and Mothers
Raising a child on one’s own can be very stressful on a person, but they can encounter some benefits. Single parents strengthen their parenting skills, their ability to manage families better, communication; they also become better with organization skills and are more dependable. With all the responsibility that comes along with being a single parent, there are organizations out there to help them out. MetLife is a great resource for single parents to use because they offer things like tips on a variety of issues and even single parent support groups.
References
- Hilton, J., Desrochers, S.,Devall, E. Comparison of Role Demands, Relationships, and Child Functioning is Single-Mother, Single-Father, and Intact Families. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage ,35(?) 29-56.
- Mulkey, L.; Crain, R; Harrington, A.M. One-Parent Households and Achievement: Economic and Behavioral Explanations of a Small Effect. Sociology of Education, 1992, 65, 1, Jan, 48-65
- Quinlan, Robert J. Father absence, parental care, and female reproductive development. Evolution and Human Behavior, Volume 24, Issue 6, November 2003, Pages 376-390
- Richards, Leslie N.; Schmiege, Cynthia J. Family Relations, Vol. 42, No. 3, Family Diversity. (Jul., 1993), pp. 277-285.
- Risman, Barbara J., and Park, Kyung. (1988). Just The Two of Us: Parent-Child Relationships in Single-Parent Homes. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1988, 50, 4, Nov, 1049.
- Sacks, G. (September 4, 2005) “Boys without fathers is not a logical new idea.” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (Little Rock, Arkansas)
- States News Service. (2005 July 20). “America’s Children: Family Structure and Children’s Well-Being