Single parenting can be a daunting thought to those who may be newly divorced, widowed, seeking to adopt or go it alone. Financial concerns are a primary indicator in these times, let alone the stigma attached to negative social behaviour of single parenting. Media psychology trends show that many programs may inadvertently perpetuate the assumptions of certain myths and stigmas, which are in fact very outdated.
Two sides to the coin
Research has shown that the negative effects of single parenting can result in child maladjustment and increase the risk of having social and psychological behavioral problems. It is important to be aware that it is within your control as a single parent to minimise the damage control by the way you handle the situation. A healthy, strong bond can survive anything.
Some of the common effects of single parenting that are generally noticed in children include being stressed about finances, feeling isolated and uncared for, and also needing greater amount of support emotionally. It is also not necessary that these effects of single parenting are a direct consequence of divorce because they can also percolate down from parent to child through the parent’s behavior.
Negative effects of single parenting include the need to be at work in order to keep the household together. This results in reduced contact with the child and the feelings of needing comfort emotionally during stressful times. As much as the thought of this is heartbreaking, bear in mind that as long as your bond is strong, this can be an opportunity for the child to develop emotional independence and maturity.
The greater the adversity, the greater the reward
Stresses single parents undergo can result in traumatic emotional and psychological scarring. Take heart, however, it is only through adversity that we can experience life’s greatest rewards. The greater the adversity, the greater the reward – a pearl of wisdom to remember to help reverse the negative effects of single parenting.
Remember that as much as you wish to be a good mirror to your children in times of adversity, you are only human. Consider the opportunity to discover your courage in times of strain and look for what the situation is showing you about your own ability to make your dreams a reality. This attitude will certainly rub off on your children and turn the negative effects of single parenting into positive ones. The following indicators can act as red flags to be aware of. When they start showing up in your life, you may notice that you have misplaced the mindset around adversity and reward:
Risk vs protective factors
Research shows than of children born since 1984, more than 60% will spend an average of 5 years of their childhood in a single-parent family. 30 % of all children in the United States spend their entire lives with single parents and as a result, many questions arise concerning the influence single parent families have on a child’s academic achievement. When looking into the positive and negative effects of single parenting, study methods have had to be adapted, during different periods one of two models have been followed: the Family Deficit Model or the Risk and Protective Factor Model.
The Family Deficit Model dates back to the 1970s and views the nuclear or two-parent family as the ideal family structure. This model launches from the assumption that single parenting is negative for children and the results of these studies support the assumption. Data gathered in this way sometimes minimizes or overlooks the influence economics and other background factors have on academic achievement.
The Risk and Protective Factor Model on the other hand, developed in the early 1990s, does not regard or support only the negative effects of single parenting. Its foundation is that all families have both strengths and weaknesses. This model looks at family structure as being a risk factor, considering either background characteristics or life events that may have a negative impact on child development. Protective factors are characteristics and events that positively influence children and assist in limiting the impact of risk factors. Thus, risk factors are weaknesses and protective factors are strengths in any given family. According to this model, single parenting can be both a risk factor and a protective factor for children in this type of family.
Personality, social and family cohesion
In studying both positive and negative effects of single parenting, personality, availability of social supports and family cohesion frequently identified as categories of impact to the child. Personality factors are internal such as;
- intellectual ability;
- approach to learning;
- attitude and disposition;
- self-esteem; and
- impulse control.
Social support availability factors are community support structures. Family cohesion includes family structure and background characteristics for example the parent’s occupation, income; parent education, mental illness, race, ethnicity, family size and parenting style. Family cohesion factors also include life events such as divorce, remarriage, death, and other changes that can influence childhood development.
All 3 categories reflect the positive and negative effects of single parenting in serving as either risk or protective factors. Some researchers look at family size as being a risk factor if there are over 4 children, close to one another in age in the same house. However, the same is considered a protective factor in families with less than four.
Elements of each of the three categories can serve as either risk or protective factors. For instance, researchers regard family size as a risk factor when there are four or more children, close in age, within the same household, but a protective factor in families with less than 4 children spaced over 3 yrs apart. Risk become cumulative: with combination factors such as poverty, siblings close in age and lower tendencies for academic performance these compare less favourably to single parent homes with higher incomes and fewer siblings.
The more risk factors they have, the more likely negative effects of single parenting will manifest. Moreover, the presence of these risk factors does not guarantee poor outcomes; on the other hand, additional protective factors can mitigate risks. Protective factors include;
- healthy self esteem;
- strong social support at home and school;
- low rates of criticism from parental figures;
- positive parent mental health;
- college-educated parents;
- high income; and
- parenting strategies that effectively address high-risk situations.
Negative effects of single parenting manifest as high-risk factors can result in the child doing well in school if parents and teachers believe that they have the ability to do so. Strong parenting is a protective factor therefore children in impoverished areas can successfully avoid negative outcomes, if parents develop higher expectations for their children’s school performance In other words, strengths and protection families offer children are more important than the structure of the family unit.
Single parenting and academic behavior
There is no conclusive research at this time to answer the question of what the negative effects of single parenting are on a child’s educational capacity. According to studies, however single parent children are 3 times more likely to drop out of school regardless of their academic abilities. Less time to assist with homework bears on this as well as a lack in consistent discipline. This results in less parental control, which in turn affects academic achievement.
Other research suggests that income, not family structure influences academic outcome.
When family income is equal it is found that there is little difference in academic performance in either two or single parent households, thus offsetting some of the assumed negative effects of single parenting.
Involve parents are shown to have better grades, thus in these cases, parent support acts as a protective factor, countering some of the risk factors. Limiting economic pressures in single-parent families can be offset and become protective factors if involvement is highlighted.
Negative effects of single parenting can originate from a lack of the father parent especially in divorce cases or separation where financial and emotional support loss can affect academic achievement. Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth shows that for every $100 of child support mothers receive, their children’s standardized test scores increase by 1/8 to 7/10 of a point.
Research on the influence of income and mother’s employment shows that working is not a predictor of negative outcomes and can bear on both positive and negative effects of single parenting. In addition to the income, working brings into the family; African American children in elementary school do better in school when their mothers and children from low-income, single-parent families earn higher grades than children from two-parent homes with similar income. This shows that single parents who work teach their children coping strategies that limit the impact of financial hardship, low parent involvement, and other risk factors.
Balancing the negative effects of single parenting: resources
Studies clearly show that single parenting is not the sole predictor of academic failure for children and that many risk and protective factors affect academic success and school performance. Academic achievement depends on parent involvement with the child at home and in school, not whether they come from single or two parent families.
The following links will assist in observing both positive and negative effects of single parenting in your style of interaction with your child/children;