The Abstinence Clearinghouse Blog

According to an article in the Argus Leader on Sunday, November 18, 2007, some children are dying tragic deaths because of broken homes.  The article, “Broken homes raise abuse risk: Scholars: Traditional families best,” states that each year the alleged perpetrator of children dying has been the boyfriend of the child’s mother, not the biological father.  According to Brad Wilcox, a University of Virginia sociologist, the harm of cohabitation is that we’re increasing a pattern of relationships that’s not good for children.  Children living in households with unrelated adults are nearly 50 times as likely to die of inflicted injuries as children living with two biological parents.  Today, only 2/3 of children live with both parents and nearly 29 percent are now one-parent families.  The problem has become that the boyfriends and step-parents primary interest is really the adult partner and they may find themselves more irritated when there’s a problem with the children.  The federal effort encourages single parents to consider marriage to reduce the percentage of children raised by single parents.  The primary goal is to have adults around who care about these kids.  

Crary, D. (2007, Nov. 18).  Broken homes raise abuse risk: Scholars: Traditional families best.  The Argus Leader, pp. 1D, 7D.