Second draft FOR NJOSH ONLY

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It is worth noting that in the current world, the death of a spouse is no longer the apparent

reason for children to grow up in single parent homes but there are various factors. One-fourth of

the total number of children given birth to are from mothers that are unmarried and whereby half

of the number are from teenage girls who are unmarried. However, chances are that these women

get married later. Studies also indicate that approximately forty percent of children that are

beneath the age of eighteen risk to experience divorces from the marriage of their parents while

fifteen percent of them will experience the separation twice (Mooney, Oliver, & Smith, 2009).

Furthermore, it is quite common for children these days to experience a phantasmagoria of types

of single parenthood, remarriages, divorce, cohabitation, in addition to frequent divorces

(Mooney, Oliver, & Smith, 2009).

Children in the current world experience a lot of changes in the structures of their

families. Most of the children that engage in bad habits such as drug abuse, criminal activities,

joining cults and many more come from single families; especially those that lack a father figure

and receive less attention such that they seek attention from other places. Ten years ago,

followed perspective was that single parenting had no long-term failures in regards to the growth

of children. The concerns regarding divorce were not considered or rather perceived to be of less

importance such that it involved a small period of heartache and healing. However, studies done

on preschoolers showed that they were emotionally distressed; some of them exhibited

behavioral issues while others frequently disturbed their peers after two years of their parents’

divorces (Mooney, Oliver, & Smith, 2009). Nonetheless, boys exhibited significant

improvements and girls exhibited normal behavior; similar to the girls whose parents were not

divorced. Be that as it may, recent findings show that children that come from homes with single

parents perform averagely or poorly when compared to their counterparts. Furthermore, most

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children that drop out from school, those that are considered born outside marriage and those that

find it difficult maintaining their sources of income are brought up by single parents (Mooney,

Oliver, & Smith, 2009).

However, it is important to note that reports from such findings tend to be misinterpreted

with the bias being that a family with both parents will result in proper growth for their children

when compared t single parents. In other words, it is not actual that children raised by single

parents will turn out bad while those that have both parents will turn out well. There are

numerous cases of children from single parents that do exemplary well than those with two

parents. The point of emphasis is that children that grow in single parent homes have high risk to

experience suffering in regards to their well-being (Mooney, Oliver, & Smith, 2009).

The effects of growing up with a single parent on child psychology

According to a study done by Uchenna on the impact of single parenting in the

psychological and academic prowess in children, finding showed that children from families

with both parents benefited in both psychological and academic aspects when compared to those

with single parents (Azuka - Obieke, 2013). The reason is that families with both parents provide

a conducive environment for growth. Also, the findings showed that despite of a lot of children

from single homes have become successful in their development, most children from homes with

single parents do not always reach their outmost potential as a result of limited resources.

According to the scholar, it is important for school instructors, educational psychologists, school

administrators, and counselors to be aware of the factors that impact the well-being of children

that come from homes with single parents (Azuka - Obieke, 2013). By having this knowledge, it

becomes easier to comprehend the attitudes and the behaviors of the children under their care.

Furthermore, the parties should try and give support to the single parents in the possible way

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they can to ensure that children receive the psychological attention that they require without

feeling limited. A good example is a school counselor collaborating with a parent in evaluating

and developing the behavior of a child such that he or she turns out to be better adults (Azuka -

Obieke, 2013).

Several studies on the psychological and physical well-being of children from homes

with single parents have been conducted by various psychologists, educationists, scholars and

also counselors over the past few years. The studies have mostly put emphasis on teenagers

brought up by single parents that are female (Azuka - Obieke, 2013). According to empirical

studies, children from homes that are intact tend to receive all-round care in addition to being

adequately socialized as both parents play equal roles in developing their children which later

becomes significant when they transition into adulthood. However, children from homes with

single parents are at risk of suffering from denial of some rights which in return affects their

psychosocial development. Furthermore, children from homes that are broken tend to exhibit

poor performance in addition to antisocial tendencies (Azuka - Obieke, 2013).

It is worth noting that the adolescent period tends to be a crucial stage in the development

of an individual. It is a stage that most teenagers struggle to accept themselves for who they are

and also identifying their places in the society. They tend to search for places to fit in such that

they are able to express themselves. Therefore, if a parent exhibits any laxity, chances are that

the child will develop noxious behavior. It is often said that Charity begins at home and therefore

adequate foundation is required for the well-being of a child. Parents have the sole responsibility

of ensuring that their children develop adequately in the psychological, academic, social and

moral aspects (Azuka - Obieke, 2013).

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Single parents tend to face twice the responsibilities in regards to time, finances and also

attention. It, therefore, becomes difficult for them to fully take into consideration the

psychological well-being of their children. At most times, children from homes with single

parents are perceived to be hyperactive, aggressive, emotionally needy and also anxious. Some

even become confused on their gender roles in the society especially children from families that

lack a fatherly figure. Furthermore, they tend to be easily distractible when compared to children

from families with both parents (Azuka - Obieke, 2013).

The psychological well-being of children is relevant when it comes to their growth such

that children that are brought up in conducive environments tend to adjust well in the society.

However, those that feel pressurized in regards to their mental well-being tend to have problems

in adjusting in the day to day activities in the society. For children raised by single parents and

also from remarried families, there tend to be psychological problems that affect their individual

progress when compared to those with both parents. According to studies, teenagers whose

parents had divorced when they were seven to eight years old underwent therapy before they

reached the adolescent stage while those from families with both parents, only ten percent

received therapy (Bogenschneider, 2014). Furthermore, the youth that were between the ages of

eighteen and twenty two were at high risk of experiencing intense emotional distress as a result

of the breakdown of their families; with the range being from birth to sixteen years

(Bogenschneider, 2014).

Most of the psychological issues result in bad conducts whereby children begin engaging in

delinquent behavior and engage in alcohol and other forms of drugs. Most of them engage in

such behavior as a way of getting attention from their parents or in the need for a place where

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they could place their solitude. It is important to note that most of the teenagers that engage in

such behavior lack father figures in their lives (Bogenschneider, 2014).

Another psychological issue is on the relationship found between parents from single homes

and their children. Studies indicate that children raised by both parents feel that they are cared

for and hence feel closer to their parents (Bogenschneider, 2014). The same case applies to

children raised by single parents whereby in most cases, those raised by their mothers feel closer

to them while only half of the population feel close to their fathers. One significant outcome in

regards to children whose parents are divorced is the creation of a stable relationship despite the

separation such that all parties play part in being there for each other. However, studies show that

children from broken homes lack a significant bond with their parents due to the emotional

vacuum created by the divorce when compared to children with both parents. Some of them

project aggression and negative attitudes to one of the parents as a way of hiding their pain

(Bogenschneider, 2014).

Conclusion

As stated earlier, the emotional and the mental well-being of a child are among the issues

affected by single parenting and therefore it becomes inevitable to analyze the effects of growing

up with a single parent on child psychology. Single parenting has become quite common in our

current world and is associated with various factors rather than just the death of a spouse. From

the above analysis, it is quite evident that children from homes with single parents are at high

risk of experiencing challenges in their psychological well-being. It, therefore, becomes

important, especially, for education institutions to identify these aspects to ensure that the well-

being of children from single parents is ensured.

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References

Azuka - Obieke, U. (2013). Single - Parenting , Psychological Well - Being and Academic

Performance of Adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria. Journal Of Emerging Tre Nds In Educational

Research And Policy Studies, 4(1), 112-117. Retrieved from

http://jeteraps.scholarlinkresearch.com/articles/Single%20Parenting.pdf

Bogenschneider, K. (2014). Single Parenthood and Children’s Well-Being (2nd ed.). Madiso:

University of Wisconsin.

Mooney, A., Oliver, C., & Smith, M. (2009). Impact of Family Breakdown on Children’s Well-

Being :Evidence Review. Research Report DCSF-RR113, 1-36.