Research Paper on Single Parenthood: Causes, Prevalence and Challenges

Introduction

Single parenthood can be described as a situation where the family affairs are managed by one parent without the support of the other parent. There are different causes of single parenthood and these include an instance of a divorce, when a spouse dies, lifestyle choice or when one spouse is away for an extended period of time (Nkereuwem & Udisi, 2016). The last few decades have witnessed an increased prevalence of single-parent systems. However, it is understood that the phenomenon has been in existence for ages. In preservation and continuation of any culture, socialization in children is critical and family plays a major role. There are a specific structure and discipline in which most children are brought in communities around the world to instill values. In the course of time, the mannerism of raising children in a marriage setting has changed. The normal context of life has been majorly affected by factors such as technology and media among others. This has brought different settings of bringing up children such as single parenthood. It is argued that single parenthood has benefits and limitations on child outcomes. Some of the benefits of child outcomes include closer relationships, independence, acceptance, and sense of responsibility and strength. The limitations of single parenthood on child outcome are examined on psychological, education, behavioral, and economic context. This paper examines the benefits and limitations of single parenthood to children outcomes.

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Benefits of Single Parenthood on Children Outcomes

Over the years, the single parent support system has been stigmatized and considered deviant. It has become a common occurrence for children to be raised in single-parent homesteads. This due to different factors such as increased divorce rates, deaths or personal decisions. Despite some limitations associated with the single-parent support system, there exist benefits to the parent and child outcomes. For instance, children in single-parent families understand perseverance from experience of their parents (Milles, 2014). It is therefore important to examine the benefits that children derive from single parent support system. The benefits of single-parent support systems include:

Closer Relationships

Recent years have seen an increase in one-parent systems and this has led to research concerning the state of parent-child relationships. In the traditional or conventional family context, relationships between family members are usually divided into several ways due to presence of both parents (Milles, 2014). However, this is different for single parenthood in which the child spends more time with their one parent which enable establishment of stronger bonds. A study conducted comparing relationships and interactions between single-parent and stable traditional families indicated presence of increase mutual intimacy and nurturance between a child and a parent in single-parent system compared to conventional families (Walker & Hennig, 1997). The perception of increased sharing and caring in single-parent systems can be underscored by the fact that the single-parent lacks a partner for intimacy. It has been established that single-fathers had greater involvement with their children and shared more activities with their children compared to fathers in two-parent families (Hedrick, 2001). This shows the development of closer relationships between the parent and children in single-parent support systems.

Sense of Responsibility and Strength

Children from single-parent systems tend to have a better sense of responsibility compared to those in two-parent families. This is because they tend to help their single-parents with daily chores. It, therefore, means that they develop a better sense of responsibility and showcase increased maturity than those in two-parent families. Since single-parents spend more time with their children, they can recognize the sacrifices and efforts of the parents and therefore obliged to assist (Milles, 2014). It is because they can appreciate the sacrifices and work by the single-parent to make their lives more comfortable. Also, they develop management skills to deal with disappointments from an early age. Additionally, children growing in single-parent families are strong for themselves and their parent which necessitates perseverance. Children in single-parenthood settings learn to be resilient which help in having successful careers since they understand the importance of working hard.

Independence

It has been pointed out that parents in single parenthood settings tend to be more egalitarian and less hierarchical in comparison to those in traditional family settings. This means that they usually have more influence and responsibility in daily decisions. Since children in single-parenthood settings do not get much attention as those in two-parent families, they can easily handle situations themselves (Milles, 2014). Due to this, there is great development of independence as compared to children in traditional families. Also, children are taught how to strike a balance between their needs and those of others. Since there is no conflict between parents, they tend to become more confident and with higher self-esteem.

Sense of Community

Children in single-parent families develop a strong community sense. This is because they receive support from the community and the extended members of the family, in addition, to involvement in various activities of the family (Anyebe, Lawal & Adeniyi, 2017). There is also the likelihood that single-parents will become part of community support groups and churches. It, therefore, means that children from single parenthood will potentially be positively influenced by the members of the community.

Cons of Single Parenthood on Children Outcomes

In recent times, families headed by single-parents have been on the increase. It has been established that single-parent families share similar concerns with two-parent families such as the need for quality daycare. However, there are some issues which are pertinent to single-parent families. Families with both parents have responsibilities concerning the child shared and offer and encouragement and discipline as necessary. In single-parent families, one parent is in charge of economic and parental responsibilities. This means that the single-parent is less involved with the daily activities of the child. As earlier mentioned, this can provide the child with the opportunity to be resilient, to help in household chores and have more motivated to be successful. However, there are various challenges that affect single-parent families and therefore impact on the child outcomes. The limitations of single-parent families are discussed below:

Economic Effects

There has been a great coincidence between single-parent families and reduced income. The reduced income introduces the problem of poverty which is a significant and pervasive factor that affect the development of children. The single-parent, when faced with economic hardships, tend develop emotional distress. Ultimately, this leads to impediment of the ability of the parent to support and be sensitive to children needs. Single-parent homesteads are more likely to have low finances since there income from only one parent (Nkereuwem & Udisi, 2016). Children, therefore, face socio-economic problems associated with low-economic groups. This is because there is financial reliance on only one parent. The effects of low-income families include isolation of the child, lower educational attainment and lower economic achievement. It has been established that children in single parenthood fare worse on various social and economic measures compared to those with both parents. In contrast to two-parent family setting, single-parent families are poorer.

It is essential to understand that the education of a child is dependent on the economic status of the family. Children educational attainment levels in single-parent settings and two-parent families can, therefore, be explained. Households with single-parents and especially single-mothers experience lower income which translate to reduced educational opportunities and success (Nkereuwem & Udisi, 2016). Additionally, there is a correlation between economic hardship, poor mental health and poor physical health in single parenthood. Parents in single parenthood experience poorer health, low psychological wellbeing, and chronic stress compared to those in two-parent families (Stack & Meredith, 2018). This, in turn, affects children wellbeing since the parent is less capable to address their needs.

Psychological Effect

It has been established that children in traditional families will be better socialized and catered for. It is because the socialization process is based on the complementary roles of both parents in children's lives. This means that the presence of both parents with positively affect children in their school years (Nkereuwem & Udisi, 2016). On the contrary, children brought up in single-parent families tend to experience deprivations and lack of opportunities. The result is adverse psycho-social implications and especially during their school years. Adolescents are usually affected because this transitory phase entails socio-emotional, cognitive and biological changes. Those in the adolescent stage are hyperactive and have emotional instabilities which lead to stress. It has been established that this phase of life consists of identity development which leads to tension to the extent some personality confusion. Due to the significance of the adolescent period in an individual's life, there are different implications in case the parent are not vigilant in offering assistance and guidance. For instance, the lack of appropriate assistance and guidance can lead to poor academic performance and necessary behavioral development. Sigmund Freud postulated that early life with parents and family is critical in the development of the necessary social, academic, moral and psychological competencies (Nkereuwem & Udisi, 2016).

The structure of the family acts as an enabler or limitation to approaches a parent can utilize to positively impact on children outcomes in the context of educational and psycho-social development. A family that consists of a father and mother provides proper means of socializing and taking care of a child. It is because the socialization process of a child is dependent on the presence of both parents and the complementary roles they play. The issue of lack of one parent which is characteristic of single-parent families is problematic and intensified by a situation the remaining parent cannot handle the ensuring problem (Nkereuwem & Udisi, 2016). The outcome is the development of a child who is a misfit in the community. The parent is not able to effectively cope due to double responsibilities such as finances, time and attention. This means that the parent is occupied in other things and less investment in education and psychological development of the child.

Behavioral Implications

There has been extensive research on the role of parenting and behavioral issues in children. It has been established that anti-social behavior issues are a critical issue present in childhood and adult life. Changes in family structure tend to have adverse effects on children's behavioral outcomes in comparison to stable traditional families. In comparison to children in traditional families, children from single parenthood are often reported to have poorer cognitive and behavioral outcomes. The difference is due to some factors characteristic of single parenthood such as limited supervision, social isolation, financial problems and reduced copping resources (Nkereuwem & Udisi, 20...