This was posted by my dear friend, Queen Jen Haley! I liked it so much I am copying here! From 1970 to 1992, the divorce rate increased 279%; the number of children with a divorced parent increased 352%, the cohabitation population increased 533%, which means 2.7 million unmarried households, 40% of them containing children. (Stanton, pp. 2-3) Between 1970 and 1995, . . . the percentage of married couples with children dropped by a third, but single-parent families nearly doubled. (Larry Witham, New data on American family offer few hopeful signs, WT National Edition, March 11-17, 1996, p. 1) In 1960, 243,000 children were living with a single parent who had never married; by 1993 this figure had risen to 6.3 million. 1.2 million children per year are born into fatherless homes. America has 1.8 million latchkey kids. (Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper, p. 118) 20 years ago, 17% of American children grow up without a father; today, 36% do. In 1960, 8 million children living only with their mother; in 1995, 23 million. Three fastest growing forms of the family in the US, 1980-95: 1. Single mother families; 2. Blended families (step-parents); 3. Divorced families (the family left over after divorce). (Stanton, p. 1) The Relationship Between Family Breakdown and Society’s Major Problems Furthermore, research has now established a clear link between the breakdown of the family and the major problems plaguing our society. Consider the following facts: Divorce is the leading cause of childhood depression. (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) 75% of adolescent patients at chemical abuse centers are from single-parent families. (Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA) 63% of youth suicides are single-parent children. (Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA) 70% of teen-age pregnancies are single-parent children. (Children in Need: Investment Strategies for the Educationally Disadvantaged - Committee for Economic Development ) 75% of juveniles in youth correction facilities are from single-parent families. (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1988) Children of divorce are 5 times more likely to be suspended from school; 3 times as likely to need psychological counseling; 2 times as likely to repeat a grade; are absent from school more, late to school more often; show more health problems.( . Dr. Gene Brody - Study of Competence in Children and Families; Gormely, Newburgh, NY) Judith S. Wallerstein, in Children After Divorce: Wounds That Dont Heal in Perspectives on Marriage reports her findings that: Twelve to eighteen months after the divorce we found family after family still in crisis, their wounds wide open. Their symptoms were worse than they had been immediately after the divorce. After 5 years, 37% of the children had gone downhill: It would be hard to find any other group of children - except, perhaps, the victims of a natural disaster - who suffered such a rate of sudden serious psychological problems. After 10 years, 41% of the children of divorce were worried, underachieving, self-depreciating and sometimes angry young men and women. By ages 19-23, 66% of the female children of divorce found that they were more haunted and scarred by the divorce in their earlier lives than either they or the researchers had realized. 40% of the boys were found to be floundering in their lives. divorce was the single most important cause of enduring pain and anomie in their lives. The young people told us time and again how much they needed a family structure, how much they wanted to be protected, and how much they yearned for clear guideline for moral behavior. An alarming number of teen-agers felt abandoned, physically and emotionally. America has developed a schizophrenic culture. On the one hand, we have attained unprecedented heights of material success and prosperity On the other hand, we have been unable to maintain a solid moral character, family stability, safe communities, and a harmonious and happy society. This contradiction is manifest in individual lives. We instill in our youth a strong desire for material success and prosperity yet we fail to teach the values that are necessary to build good character, strong families, and a harmonious society. The moral compass of our society, the conscience, has been corrupted and a vicious cycle is being generated. Children born and raised in dysfunctional families in which they do not receive the love of parents necessary to instill the sense of value, empathy for others, self-discipline, and good character necessary for a healthy society are less likely to form lasting intimate relationships which develop into committed marriages and stable families. As this cycle expands, society’s problems multiply. If we are to renew American society, it is imperative that we break the cycle of family breakdown. In order to do this however, it is necessary to understand more about the cultural climate of 20th century America and to identify certain ideas which have suborned and weakened the power of the conscience in today’s society.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 22:43:19 +0000
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