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The effects of divorce on adolescents
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In the year 1962, a child would have had an 86% chance of having both parents present and living in the home. Many children in today’s generation do not have that privilege. One of the largest shifts in the family structure is the percentage (34%) of children and adolescents living with an unmarried parent. What exactly defines a single-parent household? “A single parent household can be defined as families where a parent lives with dependent children, either alone or in a larger household, without a spouse or partner.” This is an issue that continues to rise progressively each and every year, which in result has become a major concern to social scientists, child psychologists, and public officials across the nation. The effects of adolescents growing up in single-parent homes could be detrimental to their future if it is not handled properly or in a Biblical manner. The effects of children growing up in …show more content…
Children who grow up without a mother never receive the satisfaction of being mothered, which can cause long-term damage to their self-esteem, ability to relate to others, and place their trust in people. Some girls have even reported sexual abuse from their fathers or stepbrothers after their mother has left. This creates sever difficulty in maintaining relationships, emotional issues, and depression. The positive effects of growing up with only an active mother (key word: ACTIVE mother) is a strong mother-child bond, sense of community, maturity, and shared responsibilities (chores, recognizing their efforts around the house). The child will more likely be able to manage disappointment and conflict that will prepare them for the “real world” and life experiences, by helping them learn to balance their own needs and the needs of the family (this attribute also applies to growing up without a father as
Families are becoming more diverse and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some people consider families to be strictly biological, while others consider people they love to be their family. Although two-parent families are the majority, one-parent families are becoming more common in today’s society. A sole-parent is considered to be a parent without a partner or spouse who is the primary care giver of one or more children in a household (Ministry of Social Development, 2010). From the age of 14 onward I was raised by my father. I witnessed firsthand th...
Almost half of all children in the US by the age of 15 will have lived with a single parent (Anderson cited in Barajas 13). In fact, father absent homes have a greater effect on boys than on girls (Mandara, Murry; Sigle-Rushton &McLanahan, cited in Barajas 13). Those teenage boys that are raised in single mother households in low income areas are more likely to participate in criminal activity because they receive less supervision, are surrounded by crime in their neighborhoods, and receive low education levels.
Single parent homes are becoming more common as time goes on. With this growing number, the traditional nuclear family seems to be less relevant. Welna reports that “[t]he portion of children living with a single parent has jumped over a generation from 1 out of 20 to about 1 out of 5 children” (1999, p. xii). Within a few decades, single parenting became very common among the modern society. This is a large shift and changes civilization. However, this difference it isn’t expressed very much. Television doesn’t show a lot of representation for
Archives are filled with articles focused on the outcomes of children raised in single parent homes versus children raised in the nuclear family setting. The subject is highlighted in mass volumes throughout various internet blog forums, newspaper articles, and popular magazines detailing the statistical data and reputed points of view on the outcomes of the subject. Countless bloggers provide substantial personal testimonies highlighting both ends in the debate, while giving readers an inside-look at this situation from all different walks of life. Developing this issue into a broader context, we as the readers have to consider the magnitude of the issue and ask ourselves, “In concern with the betterment of my family, which lifestyle could I possibly adopt to ensure that my children are adequately socialized and prepped for life outside the parental structure?” However, this is not a question that requires a prognosis from a prominent sociologist; in fact, children raised in single parent families are just as capable at success as children raised in the traditional family setting.
This research paper will explore primarily the impact of African American single-parent households on the children that live in these environments. This is a very important issue and more awareness is needed. Research has provided evidence that single-parent households are one of many risk factors that can negatively affect a child’s educational outcome, emotional health and social behavior. Although not all single-parent family households have disadvantages, the focus of his study is to shed more light on the issues and offer solutions. For example, more policies are needed to reinforce fathers to pay child support. This alone will provide mothers with more money to help them better raise their children.
Everyone has a family, rather it is with your biological relatives or long-time friends. A lot of people have been raised in different types of households rather it is with a grandparent or a foster parent. Everyone has their own individual story of their particular support system. In most cases, people have been raised with both parents, which is ideal in this society. As years gone by, a lot of changes have occurred within raising a family, whether it be getting raised by a LGBT couple or being raised by a sibling. The most common change that has occurred is single-parenting. A lot of children are being raised by either just their mother or father. In most cases, the mother is the single parent. Being a single parent can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. In this essay, I will explain the ups and downs that come with being a single-parent.
Although the gold standard in child rearing has traditionally been a dual family unit, being a single parent is now a major norm in a county that once referred to it as a sin. Our society is shifting away from the bonds of matrimony, and having a child with wedlock. There various poverty and emotional issues children struggle with living in such a household. In many cases, they tend to struggle through life. However, single parenting is seen through a selective perspective to those outside the home. It can also enlightening and rewarding for a child to watch a single parent take on the jobs of either an absent mother or a father. Living in a single parent household teaches a child that they can survive on their own no matter what obstacles thrown in their life, because the child and the parent are a team.
My Intel that raising a child in a single family home can have an extreme impact on the child lives. I am personally a single mother and raised three children by myself. I first hand saw the unbalancing of gender roles that it puts on children (my Children). When a child is raised in duel parent households, they are afforded the opportunity to choose the role they want. The child can understand the role of each parent and apply that role to their own understanding. Being raised with a single parent, your understanding of life is mirrored through the image of only one person.The weak parenting skills found among single parents in the study may be related not only to the lack of a second parent, but to a lack of income and education as well.
I was a lucky child growing up. Yes, I’m sure that a lot of children would say that, or at least I hope that they would. As the child of a single mother I would say that in comparison to how society frames it, it is not nearly that bad. My mother was a successful, dedicated working parent and my father a hard-working detective. They cared for each other, they just did not see a future together, despite my birth. Being the child of a single parent is considered a disparaging obstacle when it comes to child development. I however do not feel that I suffered at the hands of single parenthood. The theories of Freud, Piaget, Erickson, and others lend notion as to how aspects of nurture and nature, come together to shape an individual.
Single parenting issues differ from dual parenting issues irrespective of the cause. The absence of one parent in a child’s life has a direct impact on their physical and emotional growth. Lack of shared responsibilities in the family turns the children to partners rather than children denying them the opportunity to just be kids and enjoy the fun, innocence, an anxiety of just being themselves. Although, single parents acknowledge some positive impacts, they still have an emotional feeling of the gap left by their spouses.
In the past, because life expectancy was lower, large proportions of children lived part of their youth in a OPF as they lost one parent and then another to death. What has changed over time is the composition of such families (Ambert, 2006).” One parent families have been around for thousands of years. There is no avoiding widowing or divorce. Historically single parent family homes have been looked down upon and still catch the blame for a lot of society’s problems today. Children need the support of not only their parents but the other people around them too, when a parent has left, it is society who has the power to help this child and support it. Instead of blaming single parents, there are a number of things that can be done to slowly help lower the negative effects of single parenthood on a child. Community programs and after school programs show children that there are people that care about them. Subsidizing daycare so that it does not cost people half their paychecks can allow single mothers to advance their careers and create a safety net for their families. “Youth who overcome disadvantage are able to rely on a greater number of sources of social support than youth with serious coping problems, including teachers, ministers, older friends, family day-care providers, nursery school teachers, neighbors, or contacts at social agencies (Kaplan,
Children’s growth and development start at a very early age. Every child develops at their own pace. Through the stages of development, people are able to see the changes in their emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. A child may grow up to be loud and very outgoing while another may grow up to be quiet and reserved. Some may have more social, emotional, and behavioral problems than others. We know every child, every person is different. Some could have inherited characteristics from their parents. Or some may have picked up these “ways” by observing. Some children may not be in the best of places growing up such as being in a family where physical abuse is present, alcohol and drugs, or family issues between parents leading to divorces. Parents being divorced or having a parent walk out in the family and never returning could negatively impact a growing child especially witnessing the leave.
With the divorce rate as high as it is, more and more children are growing up in single parent families. Ideally, it is better for children to live with their mom and dad happily married. These children who grow up in a single parent family are looked at as being different. However, the problem lies in the difference of children raised by both a mother and a father. Does a child need both parents? Does a young boy need a father figure around? With much speculation, this topic has become a very intriguing argument.
percent of children in America are living in a single parent family. This is a chilling
Some children may be less fortunate in a two-parent household because only the father or mother is working. Single-parent homes have much stress with one person taken care of multiple children. “Households with two parents tend to have more money and some less tangible benefits, including less stress, more involvement from grandparents and less unexpected change”(Leonhardt). Children growing up in a two-parent home will grow older not knowing how to manage their household because everything done for them. Unlike children growing up in a single-parent home, more than likely being raised by their mother will be easier to them from their experience. Seeing their mother struggle hard but always got things done was a great motivation for both male and female. The boys will grow into looking for a woman that’s hard working like his mother. A female, on the other hand, will feel independent enough to not need any man’s help after watching her mother stay