Fact Sheet on Father Absence

Today we know that the proliferation of father-absence has become a social problem. The impact of which is felt in many areas, especially in children in father-absent families.

This Fact Sheet on Father Absence, is excerpted from the book, On The Outside Looking In: Hope for Separated Fathers Who Want To Be Good Fathers. Herein we report on:

1. divorce rates,
2. births to un-wed parents, and
3. single-parent households.

These statistics were compiled from the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics, the Barna Group and others as indicated. They can help us gain an understanding of the number and scope of separated-fathers.

Divorce Rates in the United States

The proliferation of divorce in the U.S. is not restricted to any particular segment of our society. All geographical regions, religious, racial and age groups experience high divorce rates.

• the average marriage last only seven years
  
  
• nearly half of all new marriages will end in divorce
  
  
• two out of three marriages to couples under the age of thirty ends in divorce
  
  
• approximately half of all divorces are to couples with children
  
  
• one million children each year experience the divorce of their parents.

The table below shows a breakdown of divorce by religion group:

Divorce does not discriminate as high divorce rates exist among all racial groups:

Other factors contribute to divorce rates which are not readily apparent in the statistics. For example, the number of marriages is decreasing as many couples chose to cohabitate (35% of Americans never marry). Thus, neither marriages nor divorces are recorded for those who cohabitate and never marry. Divorce rates are high in other countries as well:

Births to Un-Wed Parents

The number of children born to un-wed mothers is also increasing.

• between 1985 and 2000, un-wed mothers gave birth to 18,594,000 babies
  
  
• in 2000, 4,059,000 babies were born in the U. S., 1,347,000 were to un-wed mothers
  
  
• in 2000 one out every three births occurred to un-wed mothers

The table below shows the number of births to “un-wed mothers” (as reported). However, we must remember that un-wed mother also means un-wed father.

Here is a breakdown of births to un-wed mothers in the year 2000 by racial group:

Single-Parent Households

Single-parent households in the United States have increased dramatically over the last three decades:

• in 1970 there were 3 million single-mother households, in 2000: 10 million (26 percent of households) and 2 million single-father households
  
  
• 23,000,000 (twenty-three million)* children live without their fathers
  
  
• one-third of all children live in single-parent households
  
  
• in 2000 only 68% of children lived with both father and mother, down from 85% in 1970

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* To understand the enormous nature of this statistic – as of this writing, 146 of the 191 member countries of the United Nations, have total populations of less that 23,000,000. In other words, the number of children in the U.S. who live without their father is larger than the total population of 76 percent of the earth’s countries.
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The number single-parent households remains a large percentage of the total number of households in the U.S. As the table below shows, the number of single-parent household continues to rise.

Facts about Children in Father-Absent Families

To understand the impact of father-absence on children, below are some consequences that are widely reported. The general conclusion is that children in single-parent families face a higher risk of academic, social and psychological problems. Those problems include higher rates of:

• attempted suicides
• runaways
• behavioral problems
• psychological disorders
• acts of rape
• poor grades
• high school dropouts
• drugs abuse
• alcohol abuse
• crime resulting in juvenile jails terms
• adult prison terms
• early sexual activity
• teen pregnancies

Studies have shown that neither the single-mother family nor the single-father family does as well as families with both the father and the mother.

Even though the number of single-father families is growing rapidly, there are five times as many families that are without the father as are without the mother. In 2003 there were 2 million single-father families and 10 million single-mother families.

The issue steadily points to the absent father when examining problems in single-parent families. If more separated-fathers were taking their responsibility with their children then the incidence of many of the problems cited above would decrease by virtue of fathers' intimate involvement with their children.

Please keep in mind that reporting these conclusions is not an assault on single-mothers. This is not a gender issue. Single-mothers have historically done a great job in the face of much adversity and a lack of adequate support. I congratulate and applaud single-mothers who have done the job of both parents while balancing work and family responsibilities.

It is, however, an assault on father-absence, because without separated-fathers there would not be single-mothers - except in the case of death of the father.

Further Consequences of Father-Absence in the Family

The bottom line is that there are increasing numbers of maladjusted people. Added to the problems listed previously are the following:

• an increased number of babies born to teen mothers
  
  
• single-mother (father-absent) families have a higher percentage of households below the poverty level (32% of single-mother households)
  
  
• higher levels of child abuse in single-mother (father-absent) families
  
  
• children from single-mother (father-absent) families are more prone to depression
  
  
• children from single-mother (father-absent) families have poorer relationships with mothers and fathers
  
  
• boys in single-mother (father-absent) families have more sleep disturbances (trouble falling asleep, nightmares)
  
  
• boys from single-mother (father-absent) families have greater levels of aggression
  
  
• children from single-mother (father-absent) families have less of an ability to delay gratification
  
  

Statistical and Population Census Research

Jason M. Fields and Lynne M. Casper, America’s Families and Living Arrangements: Population Characteristics, 2000, U. S. Census Bureau, June 2001.

Rose M. Kreider and Jason M. Fields, Number, Timing, and Duration of Marriages and Divorces: 1996 (Household Economic Studies), U.S. Census Bureau, February 2002.

Joyce A. Martin et al, National Vital Statistics Reports, Births: Final Data for 2000, National Center for Health Statistics (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services), Volume 50, Number 5.

Arlene F. Saluter and Terry Laggaila, Current Population Reports – Populations Characteristics: Marital Status and Living Arrangements, U.S. Department of Commerce, (U.S. Census Bureau #P20-496), March 1996.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Families and Living Arrangements, 2003.

The Reconciled Fathers Ministry

The Reconciled Fathers Ministry is a division of the God Is Love Ministries, founded by Akili Kumasi. The Reconciled Fathers Ministry is dedicated to helping separated-fathers reconcile with their children.

For more information on the Reconciled Fathers Ministry please see our website at www.rFathers.org.

Publications

The Reconciled Fathers Ministry has published three fatherhood books through GIL Publications:

• On the Outside Looking In: Hope for Separated Fathers Who Want To Be Good Fathers, 2006.
  
  
• Fun Meals for Fathers and Sons: Recipes and Activities for Bonding and Mentoring, 2004.
  
  
• Bible Word Search, Volume III: Fathers in the Bible, 2007.
  
  
• Seven Principles of Godly Fatherhood: The Example of Joseph the Carpenter, (forthcoming in Fall 2008)

All of these books are available on our website at www.rFathers.org or at Amazon.com.

The Reconciled Fathers Ministry also publishes a free newsletter, rFathers. Register to receive rFathers - send an e-mail to info@rFathers.org.

More Information

For more information on anything in this fact sheet please e-mail us at info@rFathers.org.

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