Don't avoid single-parent issue, confront it
The following is a Counterpoint:
By Earle Bower
Charles Davenport's last two columns have been absolutely on the mark. Numerous studies have shown that the single greatest factor in predicting failure for a child is being born to a single parent. It is far more significant than race, nationality or socioeconomic standing. It only stands to reason that children from single-parent households are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than children from two-parent households.
I couldn't disagree more with Annette Kiesel's letter in which she calls Davenport's remarks hurtful and an attack on single mothers who need community, not criticism. The really hurtful thing is to ignore the plain documented truth for the sake of political correctness. Identifying the problem is not criticism; rather, it's intellectual honesty.
Like it or not, single-parent children have very high failure rates and represent a large percentage of prison inmates. Let's let Davenport's columns become the impetus for dealing with this problem here in Greensboro. Let's start a real dialogue based on honesty and reason.
It's been reported that some single mothers on public assistance encourage teenage daughters to get pregnant to receive additional benefits. Why not create ways to provide an incentive for young girls not to get pregnant? This could take the form of a cash incentive of $3,000 per year every year the girl doesn't get pregnant. Or, it could be a cash incentive to have a birth-control patch implanted in the arm of teenagers. No matter the cost, it would save enormous sums of money and a great deal of human suffering in the long run.
Teenage pregnancy almost always leads to single parenthood with its dismal rates of success for the children. Why not develop innovative solutions to reduce teen pregnancy and save those children from a miserable life of failure?
The writer lives in Greensboro.
Comments (4)
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Relevant: This acclaimed social scientist has published a book on this topic:
The Marriage Problem: How Our Culture Has Weakened Families
by Social Scientist James Q. Wilson
PBS Frontline Interview With Wilson (August 22, 2002):
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/marriage/interviews/wilson.html
Posted on October 2, 2007 8:17 AM
Earle,
Good letter.
There actually are programs to encourage girls to not get pregnant. One in this area is called "College -Bound Sisters".
It lets girls raise money for college by attending classes or group-meetings and other things designed to keep them from being single moms.
It's a pretty effective program with great results.
Posted on October 2, 2007 9:45 AM
nit, who funds these programs?
I am not against working to correcting the problem of young and/or single mother pregnancies. However, I think taking money from one program to fund this one is not the answer either.
And I feel that if a young female UNDER the age of 18 gets pregnant and has a child, that child should become a ward of the State and appropriate measures taken to avoid a recurrence. The "XY" chromosome donor should be determined and held financially responsible. Should he be a minor, appropriate measures should taken to avoid a recurrence as well.
If society is not going to allow a thorough sexual education instruction to take place, then something has to change.
And for the record, I have a niece and nephew who come from a single-parent family/home. NEITHER are ADHD or failing. One is in college (doing well) and the other does quite well in public school. So, I guess these two beat the statistics!
The problem is not so much coming from single-parent homes. Rather it is coming from a place with little or no parent/guardian input/concern.
This is the reason for the harsh comments a few paragraphs back.
Just my two cents.
Shalom
Posted on October 2, 2007 11:50 AM
I'm not sure which studies Mr. Bower is referring to. Race and parents' education tend to be stronger correlates of children's attainments than single parenthood.
A careful study by Lawrence Wu and Brian Martinson some years ago showed that transitions in mothers' living arrangements were more important than the number of years spent living in any particular arrangement.
Other work by Andrew Cherlin and others has shown that outcomes are better for children in single parent households than for children in married households with lots of parent conflict.
If we're "going to start a dialog," let's do it first using correct facts. The relationship between parents' living arrangements and children's development is a very complex one.
Posted on October 2, 2007 3:19 PM