Crime Rates Among Children - Is Single Parenting the Cause?

Parenting is a hard job that can be difficult with two parents in the home, let alone one. Because of this awesome responsibility, much has been said about the possibility that raising kids minus a mother or father can lead to higher crime rates among children.

While a compelling argument, something as complex as youth crime may not a solitary cause. A case in point would be the fact that most high profile crimes, like school shootings, involve kids from two parent households. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the Columbine killers, lived in fairly upscale neighborhoods and came from two parent homes.

A poll even indicated that 85 % of the public believed that the parents of the Columbine Murders were at fault for their children's criminal behavior. Victim's families even filed civil suits against them for financial damages. So, it would appear that crime rates among children may not be attributed solely to single parent's children, but can stem from any home at any given time.

Crime Rates Among Children - Is Single Parenting the Cause?

Single Parent Stigma

While the case can be made that many crimes are committed by children from single homes, studies indicate that there has been a decline in youth crime even though single parenthood still exists. FBI crime statistics even indicate that violent juvenile crime stats are at their lowest point in twenty years. It cannot be ignored that major crime rates among children occur across all demographics.This is especially true when it comes to school shooters, who tend to come from two parent homes.

So, what are the common denominators? One finds that in homes where there is attention, love and care, the child is well adjusted and happy. Of course, a single parent may find it harder to give time and attention, especially when working two jobs to make ends meet. On the other hand, if a double parent home is dysfunctional, abusive or devoid of love, it can produce a hostility that comes out in negatively as well.

Dooming Kids to Failure

The assumption is that most kids from single a parent homes are products of divorce or an "epidemic" of teens who opt to live on welfare and do not have the skills to raise their children properly. A look at welfare statistics however, indicates that only 8% of the welfare dole is given out to teen parents. This means that the epidemic we tend to hear so much about may be a little inflated.

In most cases, teens who have babies receive help from their extended families. This also means that the child may have familial love and support from relatives who assist in child rearing duties. Some children are raised by a single parent because of the death of their mother or father as well. In other words, single parents may end up having to raise a kid alone due to situations beyond their control.

If we live in a society that automatically places single parent kids in the potentially bad apple category, we inadvertently start a self-fulfilling prophecy of crime rates among children in this group. In this case, it won't be from single parenting that these kids act out, but from their reaction to how society chooses to deal with such complex issues. This should be enough to compel us to seek real solutions to an extremely complex problem and not place the blame solely on the shoulders of all single parents.

Crime Rates Among Children - Is Single Parenting the Cause?
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Pieter West travels the world on a regular basis and have written about numerous subjects. He has an extensive knowledge about, finances, DIY, parenting advice and many more subjects. You can find more of Pieter's articles regarding Single Parenting at http://www.singleparentingguide.com/

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Single Parent Family Statistics - Single Parents a New Trend?

Single parent family households have become a common occurrence in the United States, and the number of these types of households has been on the rise for the last several decades. Currently in the United States, according to single parent family statistics, there are over 13 million single parents. Many of these parents do not choose to be single, but due to life circumstances such as divorce or separation, abandonment by a spouse, or death of a spouse, they find themselves raising their children alone. Nearly 85 percent of these households are headed by a female, while the remaining households are headed by a male. The vast majority of both female and male single parent households are either divorced or separated. Approximately one-third of female single parents have never been married, and less than a quarter of female single parents are remarried. Almost a quarter of single parent fathers remarried, while only about 18 percent of single fathers have never been married. Approximately 1 percent of single parents, both men and women, find themselves single parents as the result of the death of a spouse.

As single parents, both men and women face difficult, complicated decisions. Most single parent mothers and fathers work full-time jobs. However, according to single parent family statistics, even though the majority of mothers work full times jobs almost a third of these families live in poverty and approximately the same percentage receive public assistance. According to statistics, approximately 11 percent of single fathers live in poverty. In essence, about three times more single parent females live in poverty than their single male parent counterparts. These reasons could be explained by a myriad of factors, one being the discrepancy in pay between men and women in the workforce. Income is certainly not the only obstacle faced by single parent families but it may be one of the most stressful and challenging obstacles.

Crime

The health, education and behavior of children from single parent families can be adversely impacted by the absence of a parent. This is not to say that all children from single parents will suffer consequences such as these, but there is a greater chance that children from single parent families will face these issues. According to a report completed in 2005, about 63 percent of children in the United States grow up with both biological parents. That means that approximately 37 percent of children in this country grow up without both biological parents, which is reported to be one of the highest rates in the western world. Single parent family statistics indicate that black children are more likely than Asian, Hispanic and non-Hispanic white children to grow up in a single parent family or a family where both biological parents are absent. Incidences of teen pregnancy, suicide, and drug abuse are higher among children from single parent homes. In addition, children from single parent families are more likely than their counterparts to drop out of high school, go to prison, or runaway from home.

Single Parent Family Statistics - Single Parents a New Trend?

Single Parent Family Statistics - Single Parents a New Trend?

Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

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