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Name: Lofranco, Daniela Elana S.

Title: Single Parent

Review of Related Literature

Introduction

The family institution, which is composed of a variety of different social, economic,

Foreign Studies (at least 10 authors) maximum of 3 paragraphs

According to the 2009 census of the United States, there are about 13.7 million single parents
who have custody of 21.8 million children (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009). From 1970 to 2010 the
number of single parents in the United States has more than doubled, going from 12% to 27%
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). This increasing number of single parent homes raises questions
about the effects single parenting has on children. Research studies show a steady trend of
children expressing significantly more negative behaviors when raised by a single parent than
when raised in a dual-parent home (Blackwell, 2009). It is important to keep in mind that an
essential third variable (traumatizing events, e.g. divorce) is not accounted for by these studies
showing negative effects of single parenting on children.

Single parents consistently report more externalized behavioral problems of their children than
dual-parents do. External behavioral problems are behaviors associated with an absence of
emotional control. Such behaviors can be, but are not limited to, destroying property, being
aggressive, and acting out (Holden, 1997). This could be the result of single parents having
higher stress levels than dual-parents do, and resultantly exhibit harsher disciplining methods
when interacting with the child (Jackson et al., 2010). Hilton and Devall (1998) conducted a
survey with 30 single mothers, 30 single fathers, and 30 dual-parent families. Single parents
reported more cheating, lying, bragging, and property destruction problems with their children
than married parents did about their children. Compared to single parenting, no negative effects
of dual parenting have been reported. Children raised in single parent homes who have influence
from both parents show fewer behavioral problems than children raised in single parent homes
with no influence from the non-custodial parent (Jackson et al., 2010). Having paternal and
maternal influence is assumed to reduce negative behaviors in children (Blackwell, 2009). In a
two-year longitudinal study by Jackson et al. (2010), teachers of single parented children
reported significantly fewer negative externalized behaviors within children who have contact
with both parents than within children who do not have contact with both parents.

Studies on single-parent families, which are a subset of family studies, have been more
important in recent times. The reason for this increase in importance is that single-parent
families are becoming more prevalent than ever before in all societies. However, existing
studies on the subject are very limited in Turkey and focus on the negative aspects of being a
single parent, particularly in terms of the effect of divorce on children and child-parent relations,
as well as the level of success and psychological well-being of children of single parents
(Alikaşifoğlu, 2008). Studies conducted abroad examined subjects such as depressive and
social problems, roles of single parents, the social welfare of their children, and housework
sharing (Amato, 2000). However, a study which directly examines the changes of
consumption expenditures for the leisure activities of single-parent families is not seen, either
in studies conducted in Turkey or abroad. In fact, leisure activities are of great importance to
quality of life, particularly for single-parent families. This study is then the first of its kind, as it
was conducted to determine the changes in consumption expenditures for leisure activities
among single-parent families, in terms of a variety of factors.

Local Studies

Single parenthood may have a variety of reasons and may take on different forms – be it
overseas work, abandonment, widowhood, incarceration, legal or de facto separation, annulment,
adoption, or a child out of wedlock due to poor education and promotion of methods of
contraception. But in this day and age, as a matter of social statement on the respect for life and
women’s reproductive rights, it must be expressed as a State policy that a solo parent’s brave
choice and genuine struggle to raise a child alone even in adverse circumstances should be
lauded and commended.

In 2000, Solo Parents constituted 2.9 or nearly 3 million of the country’s population. A more
recent World Health Organization-funded study by the Department of Health (DOH) and the
University of the Philippines – National Institute for Health (UP-NIH) placed the number of solo
parents at 14 to 15 percent of the estimated 94 million Filipinos. Today, around 13.9 or 14
million Filipinos are solo parents struggling to support their families and raise their children
alone. According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), there are around three
(3) million children in solo parent homes in the Philippines today. These are children of single
parents, widows, and kids of migrants or overseas workers.

DSWD records show that under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), 170,000
beneficiaries are Solo Parents. And in the DSWD alone where the organizing and empowerment
of Solo Parents was first piloted as a “support group”, there are more than 200 solo parent-
employees nationwide.

It cannot be denied that this phenomenon may have dire implications and consequences. Several
international organizations involved in the development of Asia are concerned about the high
ratio of single moms in the Philippines because it threatens to become a socio-economic menace.
For example, some single moms may not be able to afford education for some or all of her kids
and in most circumstances, such children can take to drug abuse and/or crime. In view of the
existing poverty and low education, such children can also become ideal recruits for any terror
network or human trafficking – since job opportunities for these citizens will be lower. Some
studies have shown that female children of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) left in the care of
grandparents or relatives are also prone to becoming single parents themselves.

Meanwhile, there have been reports of parish priests in Catholic churches turning away children
for baptisms because the parents cannot produce a marriage certificate. Some private Catholic
schools are also said to be refusing admission to children because their parents are not married or
are separated.

Clearly, we need progressive State policies on the evolving nature of the Filipino Family that
will acknowledge, recognize and respect the existence of “alternative” families or the varying
compositions of the family. In addition, we need policies that must address the issues of stigma
and discrimination being experienced by children of solo parents from private Catholic schools
which technically deprive them of their right to a high quality education.

Concluding Statements

The number of single parents in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last 40 years (U.S. Census
Bureau, 2010). In current society the belief that single parenting has negative effects on children
is dominant over the belief that single parenting has no negative effects on children. Even though
many researchers who have compared the effects of single parenting and dual parenting on
children consistently found correlations between single parenting and negative child behaviors,
these studies do not account for a very important third variable; namely traumatizing events (e.g.
divorce, separation early in a child's live). As shown by cases of adoption, adopted children of
dual, and single parent homes do not show behavioral differences. In the case of adoption,
children experienced the same traumatizing events before having consistent single or dual
parents. It appears that traumatizing events are the main reason for negative behavioral effect on
children, not the type of parenting. This conclusion is strengthened by research done with single
and dual parented children who have not experienced a separation or divorce of their parents.
These children also do not show any behavioral differences between each other.

References:

Amato, P. R., Kane, J. B., & James, S. (2011). Reconsidering the "good divorce". Family
Relations: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies, 60, 511-524. doi:
10.1111/j.1741-3729.2011.00666.x

Bianchi, Suzanne M. 1995. “The Changing Demographic and Socioeconomic

Blackwell, W. (2009). V. early parenting factors. Monographs of the Society for Research in
Child Development, 74, 55- 60. doi: 10.1111/j.1 1540- 5834.2009.00533.x

Hilton, J. M., & Devall, E. L. (1998). Comparison of parenting and children's behavior in single-
mother, single-father, and intact families. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 29, 23-54. doi:
10.1300/J087v29n03 02

Holden, G. W. (1997). Parents and the dynamics of child rearing. Boulder, CO: Westview Press

Jackson, A. P., Preston, K. S., & Franke, T. M. (2010). Single parenting and child behavior
problems in kindergarten. Race and Social Problems, 2, 50-58. doi: 10.1007/s12552-010-9026-y

U.S. Census Bureau (2009). Custodial mothers and fathers and their child support: 2007.
Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/p 60-237.pdf

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