Raising A Child As A Single-Parent Can Have Significant Adverse Side Effects

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Raising a Child as a Single-Parent Can Have Significant Adverse Side Effects
The futures of children in America are at risk. The family dynamic over the past fifty years has change widely in America. Growing divorce rates and social acceptance of a sexual relationship prior to marriage has led to a rise in children being raised by single-parents. This change in family dynamics has adverse effects on those children. Children raised by single parents are more likely to become teen parents, have disciplinary problems, and self-esteem problems.
Studies have shown that the lack of supervision single parents are able to provide for their children increases the likelihood their child will become sexually active. Dean Carolyn A. Kapinus who specializes …show more content…

The parent’s economic situation causes them to work long hours and sometimes multiple jobs. The parent’s long hours at work takes away from bonding time with their child. For example, a child with a parent who has to work several jobs just to pay the bills doesn’t have time to take their child to the park and play. The parent can be to exhausted from work to spend dedicated time bounding with their child. Instead of spending time listening and interacting with their child, they sit the child in front of a television and or gaming counsel while they rest. The parent may be in the same room or area of the house as the child, but it reduces the interaction they have with their child. Situations like this result in the child losing expectations of their relationship with their parent and reduces their sense of worth. This impacts every relationship the child will have throughout the rest of their life. Single parents also tend to have higher levels of stress. The parents use of alcohol increases to cope with that stress. The child then emulates the parent’s actions to help them cope with their problems. The early use of alcohol further reduces the child’s self-esteem. Another factor that reduces a child’s self-esteem occurs when a child takes ownership of their parents failed relationship, which in turn impacts the way the child values