The Effects of a Single Parent Family on Society

A single-parent family occurs when a parent cares for one or more children without the physical assistance of the other parent in the home. It can be brought about by divorce, adoption, death or abandonment by biological parents.

  1. Poverty

    • Single-parent families are at a higher risk of poverty than couple families. In 2002, many single-parent families earned less than $30,000 per year compared to two-parent families, which earned more than $75,000 per year, according to HealthOfChildren.com.

    Adoption

    • Single-parent families have higher rates of adoption than two-parent families. In 1970, only 0.5 to four percent of adoptive parents were single. In the 1980s, this rate increased from eight to 34 percent, according to HealthOfChildren.com.

    Sexual Activity

    • Sexual activity is higher in adolescents from single-parent families than from two- parent families. In a study of 700 adolescents, those from single-parent families have been found to engage in greater and earlier sexual activity.

    Psychiatric Problems

    • Children from single-parent families have greater psychiatric problems than those in two-parent families. In 1988, a study of preschool children admitted to New Orleans hospitals as psychiatric patients over a 34-month period found that nearly 80 percent came from fatherless homes, according to Photius.com.

    Education

    • Children from single-parent families have lower education attainments than children from two-parent families. Twelve percent of U.S. children from single-parent families had at least a bachelor's degree, compared to 30 percent from children living in two-parent family, according to PobRonson.com.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • How to Be a Strong Single Parent
      Strong single parents consistently sacrifice their own needs and want to put their children first. But there's more to being a successful solo parent than taking a back seat to higher priorities. Here's a look at how you can develop some e
    • How to Raise Children With A Hostile Ex-Husband
      Divorce is one of the toughest challenges that a family can face. A divorce under civil terms is hard enough, but raising children with a hostile ex-husband can make this life event seem overwhelming. An August 2013 article in the “Daily Mail&#
    • How to Handle Pregnancy as a Single Mother
      Going through a pregnancy as a single mom can be tough, but know that youre not the only one facing this challenge. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2011, 40 percent of all births in the U.S. were to single mothers. A F