Possible Effects Of Single Parent Families On The Children

by Inspiration4Living.com

What are some possible effects of single parent families on the children?

Over 30% of families in the US are comprised of single parent families. There are many reasons for having a single parent household – for example divorce, separation, teenage pregnancy, or the death of a spouse.

Studies have shown that the longer children spend in one-parent homes, the less likely they are to graduate high school and go on to further education. Boys are especially vulnerable to living with one parent, whether that parent is the mother or the father. The effects of single parent families on children show that they are more likely to live in poverty and be dependent on welfare later in life.

Also, many children from single-parent families tend to have lower birthrates and a higher death rate, and generally suffer from poorer health than children living with two parents in a stable environment. Stress and depression is more prevalent in both the parent and child and is often due to financial hardship because of a lack of available good daycare and difficulty in finding work. This tends to force the single-parent family to live in a lower income neighborhood, where the level of education is not as good as it would be in a better area. There is often criminal activity in these neighborhoods, and petty theft or gang membership can destroy the life of a child who is raised in this kind of environment.

In today’s society, it is difficult for a child from a single parent family to accept that his parent is unable to provide the latest toys, gadgets and designer clothing that many of his friends have. This can lead to the child being bullied and feeling isolated in school, or even for him to resort to petty theft so that he can steal the items or sell stolen goods to buy them. This child will then have a juvenile criminal record, which in turn may prevent him from attending college or obtaining gainful employment. He will then probably end up on welfare, thus continuing the vicious cycle.

What are other potential effects of single parent families on the kids?

Another possible effect of single parent families is that there is often a lack of supervision by the custodial parent, which is often due to stress and depression, or, if the parent is fortunate enough to have a job, the pressures of work. There are also fewer after-school activities or sports in low-income neighborhoods, so many children have no focus or interests once they are out of school for the day and are often left to their own devices, unless grandparents or other relatives are available to help out with after-school child supervision. This can lead to problems on many levels; children from single-parent homes account for an amazing 72% of teenage murders and are more than ten times more likely to commit a crime than children from two-parent families.

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