A single parent is a parent who cares for children without
the assistance of another person in the home. The legal definition of "single
parenthood" may vary according to the local laws of different nations or
regions.
Single parenthood may occur as the result of many things. Often it is opted for
by the parent (as in adoption, artificial insemination, surrogate motherhood, or
extramarital pregnancy), and often it is an unforseeable occurrence (as in the
death of one parent, divorce, or abandonment by one parent).
Many factors influence how children develop in single-parent families: the
parent's age, education level, and occupation; the family's income; and the
family's support network of friends and extended family members (including the
absent parent, if available).
There have been several famous single parents who were also actors, vocalists,
and politicians. Murphy Brown, one famous fictional character in the sitcom of
the same name, was a career woman working in a TV news firm. She became pregnant
and had a baby in the comedy series' fourth season. The character's decisions
became a nation-wide interest when she was referred to by several US family
values-oriented politicians.
[edit] Single parent demographics
In the United States, the percentage of children with single parents rose from
23% in 1980 to 31% in 2002.[1]
In 2003, 14% of all Australian households were single-parent families. Since
2001, 31% of babies born in Australia were born to unmarried mothers.[2] (Many
of these mothers may not be single parents, as they may simply live with their
supportive partners without getting formally married).
In the United Kingdom, there are 1.9 million single parents as of 2005, with 3.1
million children.[3] About 1 out of 4 families with dependent children are
single-parent families. According to a survey done by the United Kingdom, 9% of
single parents in the UK are fathers,[4] and 86% of single parents are white.[5]
[6][7]
According to a Swedish study, children living with a sole parent were about
three times more likely to either kill themselves or end up in the hospital
after an attempted suicide by the age of 26 than children living with two
parents. [8]
[edit] Circumstances
Single parenthood can be very challenging. Children of single parents are very
likely to share more household responsibilities, including looking after
themselves. Single parents often discuss things with their children (usually
financial or family decisions) which, in other families, are usually discussed
only between parents.
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