whenDivorce and Separation is recognized as a Traumatic Event on Children
Divorce/separation of a child’s parents is listed as the second most common Adverse childhood experience (ACE) in a child’s life, according to NSCH. “Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being.¹ These experiences range from physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to parental divorce or the incarceration of a parent or guardian. A growing body of research has sought to quantify the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences and illuminate their connection with negative behavioral and health outcomes, such as obesity, alcoholism, and depression, later in life.” A couple of things you will notice when evaluating these two briefs on the data, that there are a higher risk of negative health effects on a child’s health as an adult when there are more ACEs in that child’s life, and that a child’s resiliency can improve with experiencing an ACE. The research shows that the more minor the ACE the less negative effect that it may have. Therefore, you might be able to infer that if divorce was not turned into a knock-down multi-year all out high-conflict, high stress war, you could compare the negative effects with the resiliency and find that reducing the stress of the divorce experience would protect the child from unnecessary stress. Divorce alone does not have to create as great a harm as some of the other ACEs.Removing a Child from Either Parent is also a Traumatic Event
Since removing a child from a parent they are attached to and bonded to can be a great traumatic stressor, more so than the divorce itself, it would be safe to say that two fit, loving, and bonded parents should be protected to equal time with the child. I didn’t see any ACE that said that having two equal homes was an ACE. So depriving a child more than divorce naturally deprives them already would presumptively create unnecessary added stress and could cause greater damage to children. Divorce court judges and those that advise them that do not protect children to both of their fit parents equally could be causing the children even greater harm; and this therefore would be detrimental to the health, welfare, and well being of children.“Divorce courts that ignore equal parental rights are not acting in the best interest of the child.”Robbing children of the life experiences and associations with both parents add trauma to a child who is already going through a traumatic experience in the separation. Protecting children to equal time with each parent comes as close as you can to reducing the trauma. Children spending the maximum time with each parent is what allows children to develop into unique adults without feeling like they have lost part of themselves in the process. It is these men and women in robes acting as gods with power unto themselves to control children’s lives who may be the biggest villains of all.
Not all adverse childhood experiences are equally harmful to a child.
The CDC goes on to explain that not all adverse childhood experiences are equally harmful to a child. A divorce/separation of parents in fact may be a challenge, you can still build strength into a child and improve their ability to succeed when you learn how to parent through the divorce and after. Whenever a child learns to navigate a difficulty, they have developed a tool that they can use later in life. Say perhaps if they encounter a difficult boss. In short, divorce/separation can be a lot less harmful than many have been led to believe. And although divorce is a type of harm, it is not one that the court is allowed to protect your child from. (See Palmore v. Sidoti for a case where the court explains how they evaluate harms the state can and cannot protect a child from.) So when the courts understand their role in this harm and correct the process so that it is less stressful on the parents, the process will be less stressful on the children.Divorce is the second most common Adverse Childhood Experience.
ACEs are used to predict the highest level of risk for negative outcomes as an adult.MEASUREMENT OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES
We measured the prevalence of eight adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), consisting of whether
the child ever:
1. Lived with a parent or guardian who got divorced or separated;
2. Lived with a parent or guardian who died;
3. Lived with a parent or guardian who served time in jail or prison;
4. Lived with anyone who was mentally ill or suicidal, or severely depressed for more than a couple
of weeks;
5. Lived with anyone who had a problem with alcohol or drugs;
6. Witnessed a parent, guardian, or other adult in the household behaving violently toward another
(e.g., slapping, hitting, kicking, punching, or beating each other up);
7. Was ever the victim of violence or witnessed any violence in his or her neighborhood; and
8. Experienced economic hardship “somewhat often” or “very often” (i.e., the family found it hard
to cover costs of food and housing).
And then you have this evaluation of the study:
According to the CDC:
“The Influence of Resiliency on Children with ≥ 2 ACEs Associations exist between those contexts children are surrounded by and the number of ACEs that they encounter. Therefore, certain factors inherent in these environments may have the potential to promote their health and wellness. For example, among children age 6 to 17 years that experienced ≥ 2 ACEs, those who were usually/always resilient (e.g. stayed calm and in control when faced with a challenge) were less likely to have missed ≥ 11 school days per year and to have repeated a grade, in addition to having been more likely to be usually/always engaged in school (Figure 7).”
What does this mean for divorced and separated parents of minor children who have been restricted and don’t get to see their child equally because they have been told that it wasn’t good for their child and that it stresses the child out or that it isn’t stable for their child to travel back and forth between two homes? This means that that the courts have been getting it all wrong when they made assumptions that making a child go through changes or that a child identifying with two homes is harmful to the child. This means in fact that the court may actually be hurting your child by keeping your child away from you. The court’s attempts to over-protect YOUR child is harmful. When in fact there is more supporting data to show that a little controversy, discomfort, and challenge in a child’s life may not only actually lead to more resiliency and success in adulthood but may actually lead to better health and wellness long term (of course when the child has the security and stability of each of their parents and not when the court strips one of the parents of their equal authority in that child’s life).How many children are affected by ACE’s?
The CDC estimates:“Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have profound effects on the lifelong health of adults.”1 “Nearly half (47.9%) of US children age 0‐17 years experienced one or more of the nine ACEs asked about in this survey (Figure 1). This translates into an estimated 34 825 978 children nationwide.”2
Is There a Strategy I can Use in My Divorce for Combating ACE Effects?
The next time a therapist, counselor, psychiatrist, family study investigator, child custody study evaluator, other court-appointed professional, attorney, Guardian ad Litem (GAL), Amicus, or your ex try to deprive you and your child, you will have what you need to protect your child right here. Begin with changing how you think about divorce.1. It is NOT harmful to your child to have equal time with two parents who are in conflict with each other. This conflict does not warrant restricting the child’s equal time with you and your equal rights to care, custody, control, and companionship of the child.
2. It is NOT harmful to your child to force them to be with the other fit parent. It is not harmful to require the child to do as they are told. It is harmful to teach a child to disrespect and to run from a parent because they are not getting their way or they are a little uncomfortable or they are being pushed to behave.
You know now how to argue that the courts are not protecting the child’s best interest and in fact they are not even protecting the child at all. In fact, they could be creating permanent damage to the child and preventing your child from developing lifelong skills that are needed for successful survival. It would appear that these experts have allowed their own cognitive biases and their own discomforts to get in the way of doing their job and what is best for your family, which is protecting your right to continue to be an equal force and authority in your child’s life. You can support these arguments from another part of the study done by the CDC called National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) as well. This shows that a little bit of stress in a child’s life is okay, and in fact that too much stress in a child’s life hurts not only the child but the parents of the child as well! Causing more stress during an already stressful time, like the court process does, when two people are separating, is bad for families period. A child custody process that creates more animosity between parents is therefore harmful to children. Any process that leads to the result of cutting a fit and loving parent out of a child’s life therefore is more damaging and detrimental to any stress regarding change in lifestyle and household from one to two homes. So requiring children to choose between parents just to result in one parent being marginalized in that child’s life not only hurts children but also the futures of children; and this hurts society as a whole. North Dakota attempted to pass Measure 6 with the presumption that both parents are fit and entitled to equal parenting time unless proven unfit. Children would not need to be placed in the middle or choose one parent over the other. Many states have been trying to implement similar measures. Arizona passed what is being considered a “presumption of equal parenting” in 2016. The state of Kentucky passed equal parenting in 2018. Without presumptions that parents are presumed to be fit and equal courts have been starting off with presumptions that parents have something to prove. Many courts even presume that parents who fight for equal custody or who disagree with the court are not fit and are unable to put the child first. By not having this presumption that parents in divorce/separation are fit until proven otherwise, the courts are causing harmful litigation. When attorneys put parents in a position where they have to fight and prove they are a better parent than the other just to keep equal time with their own child, and a process or system that requires the child to choose one parent over the other, it should be clear now that this is what is harmful to a child and to all parents, not the parents relationship between each other failing. The following researcher, Joan B. Kelly in a report she made on studies regarding “Children’s Living Arrangements Following Separation and Divorce: Insights From Empirical and Clinical Research, published in Family Process Vol. 46, No. 1, 35-52 (2007) found that even when parents had conflict, children having frequent time with each parent did better than children raised in a sole custody home.“A meta-analysis of 33 studies comparing joint physical and sole maternal custody from court, convenience, and schoolbased samples indicated that children in joint physical custody arrangements were better adjusted across multiple measures of general, behavioral, and emotional adjustment, self esteem, family relations, and divorce-specific adjustment….Although joint custody parents reported less past and current conflict compared with sole custody parents, conflict was not a predictor of the joint custody advantage in child adjustment (Bauserman, 2002)”8
While we are not an organization that recommends leading with statistics and studies as the foundation of your argument for better policies, since studies can be twisted, abused, misused, and can yield results that might lead a mental health professional to encourage more unconstitutional practices or lowered due process, we do recognize that these kind of studies are important to help all of us understand the possible effects of our choices. Studies can be used to change behavior. Let me show you how this very same report can contradict itself. So if you rely solely on studies, many people can find other studies to counter the ones you are using, and then you are in a very expensive war to prove your side again. Take for instance the very same report by Joan B. Kelly also cited the following:“Two other studies similarly found joint physical custody to be more beneficial to children and adolescents than sole
maternal custody along multiple dimensions when conflict was low, but these benefits
were suppressed by high levels of conflict (Lee, 2002; Maccoby & Mnookin, 1992).”9
“Where tension and conflict accompany transfers of children from one home to the other,
rather than reduce children’s time with one parent as a response to concerns about
parental conflict, consideration should be given to conducting transfers at neutral sites
where both parents are not present at the same time (Main, Hesse, & Hesse, 2011). For
instance, the children can be dropped off at daycare by one parent and picked up by the
other. This protects children from exposure to parental conflict.”10
Children with Disabilities
Children with disabilities add an additional layer of complexity to a child custody battle. There are many disabling conditions that create challenges like autism, mood disorders, and other conditions that can make children more sensitive to stressors or changes in a household, make it more difficult to overcome courts imposing their idea of what is best for that child. In addition to the divorce, parents might be in other kinds of litigation related to a child’s disability; for instance, parents with children who suffer from birth injuries like cerebral palsy, have additional stressors that can impact how they are handling communications with others during a separation process. There are more demands on their time and energies, making it even more difficult to focus on what is happening in the family courts regarding their rights and the child’s rights to each of the parents. Courts are more likely to cut one parent out of the child’s life or place that parent under the total control of the other parent in these situations based on the court’s perception of the child’s sensitivities. And most of the time, the court does this without any additional experts or research on the child’s condition. And the parents go through this without the necessary support systems or the time to learn about how to navigate the additional process of separating with their rights intact.Becoming a Better Society
So while it doesn’t hurt as a society to strive to learn more about what helps improve behaviors and outcomes and become the best parents we can be and to be better guardians of the future generations, we must not do this at the cost of forsaking the foundation of our country and the only document that comes between us and corruption and abuse of power. We are protected to be allowed to make the decisions we feel is right for our children and not have the ideas of others imposed on us by third parties or judges, not even if their decision might be a better one. We are allowed to have our flaws and imperfections and to make decisions that are not popular. This keeps our society and communities thriving and creative and what makes our communities unique and strong. The protection of our rights are sorely needed in the family courts right now in order to protect the future generations from this continued failed social experiment, societal monotropy, sterilization and irreparable damage to our families. So as long as the results of the studies that are being used are not misunderstood and are not used to ignore the protections of the constitution and your fundamental rights being superior to any expert or judge and do not violate the constitutional foundation that protects our fundamental parental rights and ability to protect our children from being overprotected according to someone’s study that very likely will be countered by someone else’s or already has been, our children will be protected from being sterilized and stripped of their unique qualities and strengths that they get from diversity that only children being raised by different adults can get, including the benefits they get from learning to face challenges and changes. So as long as you follow the constitutional guidelines you can use studies to help others comfort and to help change culture, but you cannot use them to violate someone’s rights. Fit and loving parents are better for children equally regardless of their flaws or imperfections and regardless of their marital status. As long as you stick with children should only be deprived of a parent after that parent is proven unfit or a clear and present danger directly to that child you will prevent studies from being used to deprive your child of both fit parents equally. One attorney recently in North Dakota in light of the introduction of Measure 6, (the equal shared parenting initiative that would have made the presumption that both fit parents have equal shared parenting unless proven unfit), made it clear that he too believes that children should be raised by both parents unless they are in clear and present danger. According to Attorney Arnold Fleck, “All of the studies coming together; the peer review studies by social scientists and psychologists that do this for a living are saying that it is always best for the kid unless the child is in harms way to be raised by both parents [corrected from the word children]…” and Supreme court opinions presume that parents are fit unless they are a clear and present danger or proven to be unfit. This would show then that North Dakota’s current section 14-09-6.2 actually is unconstitutional. No State can create a law that does not abide by the Constitution. Let’s get back to the harm issue because attorneys opposing a presumption that fit parents have equal shared physical custody want to claim that passing a presumption that parents are fit until proven unfit and that both are “entitled” to equal custody time with their child is harmful and should not be the starting point. They are a clear example of why it is important to protect your rights with the proper level of due process otherwise families are subjected to these types of personal biases and preferences. Sole custody and even the uneven shifting of rights from one parent to another is not in the child’s best interest ever with fit parents. (See additional statistics on what has been found with children being raised in one-parent homes and see additional studies done on children who had one parent rendered a visitor. They found that it didn’t matter if it was a deprivation and not a termination. The effects on the children of divorce in a study done by Massachusetts General Hospital proved to be the same as the damaging effects they found in children who had a parent terminated. Author Joan Teresa Kloth-Zanard did a nice job of summarizing the study along with some other statistics from other studies here. And by the way this study was also quoted and used by Judge Elaine Gordon from Connecticut in 2009 in a video she made to parents. This video by the way continued to show the biases that judges and attorneys continue to have which is to blame the parents.) While it is true that two parents separating is a type of harm as we discussed above and is stressful for a child, we also wanted to show some additional research published by the NSCH study that shows that children who undergo stress do have better resiliency when they are able to “remain calm and in control” when undergoing a stressful situation. And what child wouldn’t be calmer and in more control if they continued to have the security and stability of both of their parents? If they didn’t have to wonder for years which parent they would live with and instead knew immediately that they wouldn’t lose either parent and that both parents would continue share them equally?When a child is being told they are going to be ripped from a fit and loving parent, when a child’s financial security is being put at risk because the court process is making their parents spend their future college funds and making them broke, when the child’s parents are no longer in control but instead attorneys, guardian ad litems, counselors, and a judge take over, the child’ security that they had in their parents is removed and that is unnecessary harm that is being inflicted on that child, and that is what is permanently detrimental and in fact leads to death and permanent illness as you can find in these studies as well.Stressing parents out harms children.
If a parent wants to tell a court how to solve the dispute, they just need to point to this article. When parents can tell their child immediately that their personal problems will not change the fact that the child will be with each parent equally but just in two separate homes, this also eliminates the necessity for prolonged litigation and allows a child to adjust and settle into their two homes and their changed environment more quickly and remain secure in their parents. This also allows the parents to re-establish themselves more quickly and continue to be productive citizens as well. (Want more information on what it looks like when courts operate constitutionally and how you can assert your parental rights so you can get this result, shorten litigation and save money, you can get our book here and sample motions* to help you start integrating your rights into your family court arguments today.) If a child knows that they can still depend on both parents and the parents are able to continue to be able to remain in control of their own lives without the added expense and burdens of a court process, the parents will be less stressed out and the child can handle the stress of the parents separating, the parents can better address the natural stressors of the child without the distraction of the court; and the parents can continue to invest in the needs of the child and that child’s future, rather than in the pockets of the attorneys. It is well documented and proven that long drawn out custody battles that pits parents and children against each other causes permanent damage, emotional damage (parental alienation), and behavioral problems like drug use, smoking, early pregnancy, dropping out of school; and long-term health problems like depression, anxiety, and suicide. Two of the main stated purposes of the CDC NSCH study referenced above are:•To estimate national and state-level prevalence for a variety of physical, emotional, and
behavioral child health indicators in combination with information on the child’s family context and neighborhood environment.• To generate information about children, their families, and neighborhoods to help guide
policymakers, advocates, and researchers.” Attorneys that were opposing Measure 6 may have simply prevented the integration of equal parental rights into their family court and domestic relations statutes. But this does not erase the fact that parents already have these rights. If attorneys continue to ignore family rights in the divorce and modification process they are not only preventing parents from protecting their children but are also hurting children and causing irreparable harm and permanent detriment to children. They are also violating your constitutional rights and are not protecting you and your family with the supreme law of the land as they have all taken an oath to do. The text of the measure 6 initiative was as follows:Why Would Attorneys Oppose a Parental Rights Initiative?
The big question is why would attorneys oppose a parental rights initiative that so clearly brings North Dakota’s family laws closer to being in compliance with the Supreme Court opinions regarding parental rights and children’s rights? The answer that Chris Berg uncovered is that there’s no money in it for attorneys if parents don’t have to fight for custody of their children. Chris’ backs Attorney Jason McLean into a corner and exposes the lies coming from the attorneys opposing the measure. Jason tries to get you to believe that the Bar Association of North Dakota put money towards defeating Measure 6 in North Dakota to keep attorneys out of court. Thanks Chris for exposing this lie. And I agree, this doesn’t sit right with us either. In fact, it downright stinks. Chris also points out how Attorney Arnold Fleck believes the courts would decide if a parent is fit or unfit if North Dakota’s Measure 6 had passed. You can watch what Attorney Arnold Fleck had to say about it in this video from Valley News Live “6:30 Point of View” hosted by Chris Berg on October 28, 2014 yourself (And keep in mind that even though Measure 6 didn’t pass if you know how to assert your rights you can insist that the court apply your parental rights protections and your right to have your child equally. I put the link to our book above and here are some sample motions* to help you assert the rights taught in the book into family court: #630POV Divorce Corp also believes that attorneys are only in it for profit. See the following PSA video created by Divorce Corp in support of Measure 6, and as this video says, the decision should be obvious: And, as Chris Berg (@chrisberg630POV) points out it is so important to know who is contributing money to oppose the measure. Other attorneys opposing Measure 6 have said that they believe that this measure is harmful to children. As we have shown in this post studies do not support that lie either. In fact, studies show that it is better for children to have equal access to both of their fit and loving parents. Yet, children continue to be stripped of fit and loving parents every day in this country at alarming rates. An article posted on (LifeSiteNews.com) states that “The number of children living in single-parent homes has nearly doubled since 1960, according to data from the 2010 Census.”4 And that “Today, one-third of American children – a total of 15 million – are being raised without a father. Nearly five million more children live without a mother.”5Why You don’t have to wait for an equal parenting law to pass.
If you do not want to be another statistic then learn your rights. You don’t have to wait for a measure to pass, these rights are fundamental and if your State is not following the proper due process to protect from making an error in deciding a lawsuit on your fundamental rights, you can let them know that you are not playing their game anymore. (Our book, “NOT in The Child’s Best Interest” can help you learn these rights taken directly from 90 U.S. Supreme Court cases and several federal district court cases. Get the summarized version and Troxel annotated to make it quicker and easier for you to use and start today. Get the sample motions* to help you use the arguments in the book in your family courts.) Start taking the steps you need to get your life back today. The kind of harm the men and women in robes are causing families is irreparable and unforgivable. You are not harming your child by fighting to protect your rights to equal time with your child, they are harming your child by harming you and forcing you to fight for the rights you already have naturally. They are harming you and your child by not protecting your child’s right to be protected by you. Get the book and learn your rights . The Lost Generation rally that raised awareness about the families the family courts are harming took place in Washington D.C. This rally highlighted the alarming number of children being hurt by those in the system that claim to protect them on November 14, 2014 at grassy area 1 at the United States Capitol. If you are grieving over the damage and harm that your country has caused you and your children, you are invited to also connect with Patrick Glynn who ended his 400 mile Walk for Lost Kids at the steps to the building that claims to protect this country’s constitutional foundation so that all of us can pursue “life, liberty, and happiness.” We encourage all of you to continue to take the steps to stop this damaging unconstitutional practice that so many attorneys and judges in this country have adopted and are perpetuating and forcing onto families throughout this country at alarming rates. The spread of the effects from these unconstitutional practices are more prominent than West Nile Virus, or any flu, and higher than the current ebola epidemic. Join us and stop this virus, this silent epidemic, from spreading to your family and into the next generation. In the words of Patrick Glynn, of Walk for Lost Kids, “You have to walk before you can run.” Divorce Corp Reform Conference took place on November 15-16, 2014. Ron B Palmer of Fix Family Courts was part of the discussion regarding parents rights versus children’s rights on Saturday, November 15, 2014. Also check out organizations like the Alabama Family Rights Association organization helping parents in Alabama keep their equal rights to their children. Thank you Kenneth Paschal for sharing additional research that helped us make this post even better. Kenneth Paschal is the Director of Governmental Affairs for ALFRA. Check out their website to see how they are advocating to safeguard the constitutional rights of children and parents to equally associate and spend time together at ALFRA (Alabama Family Rights Association). – See more at: ALFRA (Alabama Family Rights Association). And those of you that know me, know that I often go back and improve our posts and update them so that you are sure to be getting the most up-to-date articulation of what we find to help you get the best results for you and your child. So check back often and contact me here if you have questions or need anything else. Resource: 1. http://www.childhealthdata.org/docs/drc/aces-data-brief_version-1-0.pdf?Status=Master 2. Ibid. 3. http://ballotpedia.org/North_Dakota_Parental_Rights_Initiative,_Measure_6_(2014) 4. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/the-number-of-children-living-in-single-parent-homes-has-nearly-doubled-in 5. Ibid. 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study: major findings by publication year. http://www.cdc.gov/ace/year.htm. 7. Picture credited to Kenneth Paschal with www.alfra.org and acquired from http://www.inquisitr.com/1300186/father-fights-for-rights-for-children-to-have-equal-access-to-both-parents-even-after-divorce/ 8. “Children’s Living Arrangements Following Separation and Divorce: Insights from Empirical and Clinical Research.” Joan B. Kelly. Fam. Proc., Vol. 46, March, 2007. http://www.expoo.be/sites/default/files/kennisdocument/fp_2007_childrenslivingarrangementsafterdivorce.pdf 9. Ibid 10. “Social Science and Parenting Plan for Young Children: A Consensus Report.” Richard A. Warshak. 2014(This post was originally posted on October 30, 2014. Updated on March 28, 2019. Updated on July 29, 2021.)
Of course the bar is voting no, there would go there cash cow. It is unconscionable that they would oppose this measure. They took an oath to uphold the Constitution that include the right to be a parent with the least amount of Government interference. Obviously they put there checkbook in front of the oath they took. Just wait until we get jury trials in Family courts, even the corrupt Judges will falter and be put in their place. It’s sad that family courts put a dollar amount on our children and call it “in the best interest of the child”. The family courts not only in ND but across this country are beyond an overhaul it needs to be dismantled.
Of course the lawyers profit from parental conflict. But what the article DIDN’T say, was the state receives money from the federal gov’t for collecting child support from fathers. The sum runs from tens to hundreds of millions per year. And each state’s family courts profit from money given them by the child support collection agency. Millions to tens of millions per year. Then there are the psychologists and psychiatrists who profit from court referrals, and counselors from feminist agencies who mostly counsel the mothers. Add in the supervised visitation centers, which supervise mostly fathers, and domestic violence advocates who advocate mainly for the mothers. Read Dr. Stephen Baskerville’s book, “TAKEN INTO CUSTODY”.
No less an authority than the National Probate Judges’ College, in partnership with Boston Univ. School of Law, stated in its final report: Shared Physical Custody is in the best interests of the children, the parents, the courts, and society in general.
Look at the detriment to children and society which comes from sole maternal custody.
SINGLE MOTHER HOMES
37.8% of single mothers are divorced, 41% never married, and only 6.5% widows. Brookings Institute, “Assessing the Impact of Welfare Reform on Single Mothers”, Part 2, 3/22/04
“The strongest predictor of whether a person will end up in prison, is that they were raised by a single parent”. C.C. Harper and S.S. McLanahan, “Father Absence and Youth Incarceration”, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Assoc., San Francisco, CA, 1998
In 1996, 70% of inmates in state juvenile detention centers serving long sentences, were raised by single mothers. Wade Horn, “Why There Is No Substitute For Parents”, IMPRIMIS 26, NO.6, June, 1997
The proportion of single-parent households in a community predicts its rate of violent crime and burglary, but the community’s poverty level does not. Source: D.A. Smith and G.R. Jarjoura, “Social Structure and Criminal Victimization,” Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency 25. 1988.”
72% of juvenile murderers, and 60% of rapists came from single mother homes. Chuck Colson, “How Shall We Live?” Tyndale House , 2004, p.323
“After controlling for single motherhood, the difference between black and white crime rates disappeared.” Progressive Policy Institute, 1990, quoted by David Blankenhorn, “Fatherless America: Confronting Our Most Urgent Social Problem,” New York, Harper Perennial, 1996, p.31
Growing up without a father could permanently alter the structure of the brain, and produce more children who are more aggressive and angry. Children brought up only by a single mother have a higher risk of developing deviant behavior, including drug abuse, new research suggest. Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, McGill Univ. and Francis Bamlico, Center for Addiction and Mental Health, publishing in the journal, “CEREBRAL CORTEX.”
“(I)n a recent study by the Baltimore-based Annie E. Casey Foundation. Comparing statistics for its Kids Count report, the organization reported that Detroit ranks No.1 in unmarried births among the nations’ 50 largest cities. Of the 16,729 babies born in Detroit in 1997, 13,574 were black, 1,679 were white and 817 were Hispanic. Seventy-one percent were born to unmarried mothers. This compared with a state average of 33 percent and a 50-city average of 43 percent.”
Detroit is the worst offender on our list of America’s most dangerous cities, thanks to a staggering rate of 1,220 violent crimes committed per 100,000. “By Thanksgiving, 2012, the city had surpassed the 344 homicides reported in all of 2011. As of Dec. 16, the city had recorded 375 murders.”
Single parents make up a third of Wisconsin parents, The Annie E. Casey Foundation reports. And according to a 2009 report from the US Census Bureau, there are approximately 13.7 million single parents across the U.S., with single mothers outpacing single fathers five to one.
Two thirds of all children murdered, are murdered by their mother. Source: U.S. Dept of H&HS website ‘Child Abuse Statistics by Relationship’ March 2013
“Girls raised without fathers are more sexually promiscuous, and more likely to end up divorced.” Wade Horn, “Why There Is No Substitute For Parents”, IMPRIMIS 26, No.6, June, 1997
70% of teen births occur to girls in single mother homes. David T. Lykken, “Reconstructing Fathers”, American Psychologist 55, 681,681, 2000
86% of American teen births are out of wedlock. Dr. David Popenoe, “The Future of Marriage In America”, Rutgers Univ., The National Marriage Project, 2007
“America has more than twice as many teenage births as other developed nations.” Isabel V.Sawhill, to House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Human Resources, June 29, 1999
There are more than 400,000 teen births annually in the US, most of them to unmarried mothers on welfare.
National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
The public cost of births to teens 17 and younger is estimated at $7.6 BILLION per year. The children are more likely to be in foster care, less likely to graduate from high school, daughters are more likely to have teen births themselves, and sons are more likely to be incarcerated. Saul Hoffman, Univ. of Delaware.
70% of drop-outs, and 70% of teen suicides come from single mother homes. Wade Horn, “Why There Is No Substitute For Parents,” IMPRIMIS 26, N0. 6, June 1997
70% of runaways, 70% of juvenile delinquents, and 70% of Child murderers, come from single mother homes. Richard E. Redding, “It’s Really About Sex”, Duke Univ. Journal of Gender Law and Policy, Jan.1, 2008
63% of all youth suicides,
70% of all teen pregnancies,
71% of all adolescent chemical/substance abusers,
80% of all prison inmates, and
90% of all homeless and runaway children, came from single mother homes.
Bob Ray Sanders, “Hey Y’all, Let’s Fill The Hall (Of Fame), Ft. Worth Star Telegram, Oct.28,2007
Mona Charen, “More Good News Than Bad?”, Washington Times, Mar.16, 2001 (citing Bill Bennett, “The Index of Leading Cultural Indicators: American society at the end of the 20th Century., New York, Broadway Books, 1994)
Children brought up in single mother homes are:
5 times more likely to commit suicide,
9 times more likely to drop out of high school,
10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances,
14 times more likely to commit rape,
20 times more likely to end up in prison,
32 times more likely to run away from home.
Chuck Eddy, “The Daddy Shady Show”, Village Voice, Dec. 31, 2002
(see drop-out rates above)
The journal Health Affairs reported a five-year drop in the life expectancy of white females without high-school diplomas . White men without high-school diplomas had lost three years of life expectancy.
http://prospect.org/article/whats-killing-poor-white-women
600,000 out of wedlock births in 1979. Patrick Fagan and William H.G.Fitzgerald, “Why Serious Welfare Reform Must Include Serious Adoption Reform. Heritage Foundation Reports, July 27, 1995
In 2003, there were 1.5 Million unwed births, and less than 1% were put up for adoption. Fagan and Fitzgerald (above)
Less than 1% of children born to never married women were placed for adoption from 1989 to 1995. U.S. DHHS, Child Welfare Information Gateway, “Voluntary Relinquishment For Adoption, Numbers and trends, 2005
Only 4% of college graduates have illegitimate children, and only 16% of college graduates get divorced, compared to 46% of high school dropouts, who marry in smaller numbers to begin with. Dr. David Popenoe, “The Future Of Marriage In America; “The Frayed Knot – Marriage in America”, The Economist, May 26, 2007
50% of single mothers are below the poverty line, their children are 6 times more likely to be in poverty than children with married parents. Chuck Colson, “How Shall We Live”, Tyndale House.
85% of homeless families are single mother families. Barry H. Waldman and Stephen P. Perlman, “Homeless Children With Disabilities, “ The Exceptional Parent, June 1, 2008 (American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry
90% of welfare recipients are single mothers. Jason DeParle, “Raising Kevion”, New York Times, Aug. 22, 2004
Over 30% of families led by single moms are living in poverty, compared to 16.4% of families led by single dads. Amanda Hess, blogging at: http://www.slate.com/blogs/xxfactor/2013/09/19/
There were 3 million single mothers in 1970 and 10 million in 2003. U.S. Census, Table FM-2, All Parent/Child Situations, by Type, Race, and Hispanic origin of Householder, 1970 to 2003
More than one million British children currently live without a father, and have no adult male role models, a figure that is rising at a rate of 20,000 per year. In the Manor Castle ward of Sheffield, ENG. 75% of households are headed by a single parent, most commonly, a woman. Center for Social Justice(6/2013)
The illegitimacy rate went up more than 300% since 1970. House Ways and Means Committee, Nonmarital Births to Adults and Teenagers and Federal Strategies to Reduce Nonmarital Pregnancies, appendix “M”, 2003
The long-term health effects of broken families were often devastating. Parental divorce during childhood emerged as the single strongest predictor of early death in adulthood. The grown children of divorced parents died almost five years earlier, on average, than children from intact families. The causes of death ranged from accidents and violence to cancer, heart attack and stroke. Parental break-ups remain, the authors say, among the most traumatic and harmful events for children.
The Longevity Project ,By Howard S. Friedman and Leslie R. Martin
(Hudson Street Press)
0020
I am voting no on measure 6 because it will be detrimental to my child. Kids need a stable home, not living out of their suitcase going back and forth between two homes. How will this affect those that live far away from each other and in different school districts? Or, if in the same school district, but on different bus routes how will this affect the bus capacity and schedule, that affects everyone else, as well? That’s just one small example of something that seems insignificant, but add many of these situations together and you have something that affects every aspect of daily life for a child and all others involved, not just the parents. What if a child goes to church Wednesday nights or sports practice everyday and this doesn’t work with one parents’ schedule and the child is at one parents one week and the other parents the next week? Does the child have to forfeit their routine and interests because it doesn’t work out for the one parent’s schedule? Not all parents can work together to solve these issues. I understand a father who is pushing this measure appears to be in an unfair situation, but don’t make the rest of our children pay for it. I believe that if this measure passes it will open up a can of worms and bombard the court system. Some say that lawyers are against this measure because they will lose money on child custody disputes. I say they will gain a lot of new clients who will be fighting this tooth and nail. Parents will be trying to dig up as much dirt as they can on one another to prove the other unfit in order to avoid shared custody. Some legitimately, some not. It will wreak havoc in children’s lives; with parents fighting now more than ever and the kids stuck in the middle. After my divorce it took time to adjust and of course was difficult for all involved. I do not want my child’s life turned upside down again. Divorce is never an ideal situation for children, but I believe this measure will hurt so many children and bombard the already over-loaded court system with new legal battles. I, for one would have to hire a lawyer to fight this in order to do what is in my child’s best interest and I despise the fact that there are people out there stirring up this trouble for us that will be so hurtful in my child’s life. MY child. This affects the most important aspect of our lives and should not be taken lightly! This scares us so badly and my child has been worried about this measure changing her life as she knows it. If there are those out there in unfair situations where they feel they should have their child more and they do not, please do what you can on your own within the legal system. You already have that right and that opportunity in place. There are people and places that can help you. I wish you would seek out other options. I wish you didn’t start a measure that will detrimentally affect so many of the rest of us.
abc…you are a complete moron.
The Warshak study is a game changer.
In order to clarify where social science stands on these issues, the February 2014 paper published in the prestigious peer-review journal Psychology, Public Policy, and Law with the endorsement of 110 of the world’s top authorities from 15 countries in attachment, early child development, and divorce, recommends that in normal circumstances, overnights and “shared parenting should be the norm for children of all ages.”
abc, Completely one sided and wrong.
For one thing You demand that parenting style of the Father be the exact same as yours. (probably what helped you to become divorced, your way or no way) Second you put too much emphasis on bus, school and church, and outside activities That YOU have smothered your kids in, so they cannot have enough time to see Daddy. In doing so you lay all the blame on Daddy and those outside influences. The older a child gets the harder it is to work together and assimilate routines and basic activities, This is due to YOU(and other mothers)selfish, controlling, malicious and alienating behavior. The only way 50/50 does not work well is when Geography comes into play. If you were not so bitter and angry and would stop using your kids as your weapons of choice you may realize that Yours, Your kids and Daddy’s lives would improve so much you will kick yourself for being so incredibly Gullible to all the bad advice you cling to and use everyday. Shame on you for thinking “mom” is the only one that can do “the kid thing” Stop playing Victim and SUPPORT your kids in the way they need NOT the way YOU want.