Statistics for Family Breakdowns
Acquiring statistics on family breakdown is more achievable than bereavement through death, due to the availability of quantitative reporting systems in place that capture births and whether children are born to cohabiting parents, married couples, single parents, and divorce rates. There is also a growing body of qualitative research on the effects of family breakdown that has been undertaken in recent years that, although is quite stark reading, also offers a lot of recommendations to combat these growing trends.
The UK is among the highest-ranking rates for family breakdown in the western world along with the USA which has comparable statistics
48% of all children born today (2010) will experience family breakdown before their 16th birthday, which is over 3.2 million children living in one parent households (Benson, 2010) or approximately, 4 million children do not live with both theirparents (CSJ; 2013).
Failure of marriage accounts for only 20% of family breakdown, whereas unmarried couples account for 80% of breakdowns.
1:4 children will experience parental breakdown by the age of 16yrs.
92% of all one parent households are headed by mothers and it is estimated that 1 million children in the UK are growing up without a father at home (ONS; 2012).
In the UK 46% of children in lone parent families were in relative poverty in 2009/10 compared to 24% of those living in coupled families
65% of adolescents aged 12-16yrs in low income families (bottom 20%), do not live with both parents.
1:4 children live with only one natural parent at any one time
1 in 1,000,000 of all children (9%) live in a stepfamily, which is 1:10 children.
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Key Findings from Research
- Young people from fractured families are twice as likely as those from intact families to have behavioural problems. They are more liable to suffer from depression, turn to drugs and alcohol, perform worse at school, become sexually active, pregnant or a parent at an earlier age, leave school or home at an earlier age and a far higher risk of living in income poverty (Meltzer et al: 2010; Hansen et al; 2010; Henson, 2010; Rodger, B & Pryor, J; 1998).
- The greatest victims in family breakdown are the children. Evidence suggests that the family environment in which a child grows up contributes significantly to their future life outcomes (National audit office, 2012).
- Studies have shown a strong correlation between unstable families and educational failure (US national survey, 1996; Dawson, D; 1988).
- Children’s social, emotional and behavioural competency and mental health are closely related to the quality of their relationship with their parents and to family breakdown. Supportive family relationships improve children’s mental and physical health and the positive effects of this continue to be felt well into adulthood (International Centre for Life Course Studies in Society and Health; 2012).
- It is vital to acknowledge that lone parents face additional time pressures, difficulties and limited resources, but many of them continue to raise their children in a positive, nurturing environment where their children flourish and achieve. However, despite this, there are clear differences in child outcomes. Lone parents tend to have worse mental health, including depression and low self-esteem, making it much harder for them to meet their children’s emotional and other needs and can manifest as poorer parenting (CSJ, 2013).
- Multiple relationship transitions, where family structure changes repeatedly, has profound negative effects on children. US studies show that children who experience two or more transitions in family structure are more likely to show disruptive behaviour, have poorer emotional adjustment, are lower achievers at school and more likely to drop out. UK studies also endorse these outcomes and further elaborate that children are less likely to engage in educational activities and mothers are less likely to have a good relationship with their child, tending to use more negative discipline (Brooks-Gunn et al; 2010; Craigie,T; 2008; Osborne et al; 2007; Kurdek et al; 1995).
- How well children cope with changes following family breakdown is dependent mainly on the management, timing and pace of the change and to what extent the children are prepared and supported through them (Flowerdew & Neale, 2003; Neale et al, 2003).
- Children want to be told what is going on when their parents separate. Evidence suggests that often they are left in the dark and are particularly distressed and confused when parents leave suddenly and without explanation (Hawthorne et al, 2003; Hogan et al, 2003).
- Children report that parents often exacerbate difficulties by poor communication. Parents can help to alleviate unhappiness by keeping them informed about what is happening and behaving responsibly (Walczak &Burns,1984 cited in Rodgers & Pryor, 1998).
- Some children want to be consulted about living arrangements following family breakdown (Hawthorne et al, 2003). There is evidence to suggest that children who felt they were consulted and had their wishes taken into account were doing better than those who did not feel they were consulted (Butler et al, 2003).
- 95% of people think fathers are important to children’s well-being. (CSJ/Gov polling, 2012).
- The negative effects of family breakdown are more pronounced when it leads to the father’s absence or a sharp reduction in their involvement. Children growing up without a father are, overall, more vulnerable because of the many positive contributions that available, engaged and committed fathers make to children’s well-being. (CSJ; 2013; Bifulco et al; 2012; Mosley et al; 1995).
- Involvement of a father in children’s lives boost their self-esteem and confidence. They are less likely to experience depression or exhibit disruptive behaviours. Children with absent fathers are at an increased risk of depressive and psychiatric disorders (Bifulco et al; 2012).
- Generally, children want to retain a relationship with both parents and the quality of relationships with significant other adults in their lives is of major importance to them (Wade & Smart, 2002).
- Children do not benefit from contact with a non-resident parent with whom they have a poor relationship, where parenting practices are poor or the parent is mentally ill or abusive (Kelly, 2006; Pruett et al, 2003; Amato & Fowler, 2002; Kelly, 2000; Emery, 1999).
- Children of non-resident fathers who are actively involved with them, and have close relationships with them, are more likely to have fewer adjustment problems and greater academic success, compared to those with less involved fathers (Amato & Fowler, 2002).
Key recommendations from the research
- There is an urgent need for early intervention to ensure that children, families, our society and the economy, (of which family breakdown costs 46 billion a year), do not continue to pay such a heavy price (Relationships Foundation, 2013).
- Children who have good relationships with parents, who continue to offer warmth, attentiveness, emotional support, who discipline appropriately, and have expectations that are age appropriate are more likely to adjust more easily to family breakdown (Kelly, 2003; Hetherington, 1999; Maccoby & Mnookin, 1992).
- Good quality parent-child relationships and flexible arrangements can ameliorate many of the potentially negative effects of separation on children’s well-being (Neale & Flowerdew, 2007).
- Children adjust more easily to family breakdown when parents protect their children from the conflicts of their separation, contain their distress, negotiate and facilitate acceptable post-separation arrangements and maintain a working partnership (Rodgers & Pryor,1998).
- A cooperative post-separation relationship between parents is one factor that contributes to continuing contact with the non-resident parent (Pryor & Rodgers, 2001). A study by Trinder et al, (2002), highlighted key factors that contributed to non-resident parents continued involvement with their children. These include agreement over parental roles and the relationship skills of both parents in terms of recognising each other’s strengths and weaknesses and the ability to compromise.
- Good communication is an important factor which contributes to more positive well-being of children. Keeping them informed in an age appropriate manner is key to helping them adjust following family breakdown (Hawthorne et al, 2003; Hogan et al, 2003).
- Children should be prepared as much as possible when parents are separating with an age appropriate explanation and time to ask questions (Hawthorne et al. 2003; Hogan et al, 2003).
- Children who have difficulties adjusting should have direct access to independent child-centred support that can address their needs. There is evidence to suggest that school-based support programmes for children experiencing family breakdown are beneficial (Emery,et al; 1999 cited in Amato, 2000). Wilson & Edwards, (2003), claim that children participating in a support programme still showed improvements in their self-esteem, their perceptions of peer and adult support, and difficult behaviour six months following the end of the programme.
NB: Programmes offered through Growing Through could help schools achieve the above recommendation through after school clubs.
Bibliography
- Mooney, Ann; Oliver, Chris; & Smith, Marjorie (2009) Impact of Family Breakdown on Children’s well-being: Evidence review. Thomas Coran Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London. Commissioned by Dept for Children, Schools and Families.
- Centre for Social Justice (2013). Fractured Families: Why stability matters. Report for Breakthrough Britain II.
- Tripp, John; Cockett, Monica (1998). Parents, Parenting and Family Breakdown. Archives of Disease in Childhood.