Family Characteristics Effect of parental separation on children's behavior 13.8% of children born in experienced parental separation before age 6 years increased to 15.9% Questions 1.Do children who experience parent separation have more emotional and behavioral problems? 2. Does the type of arrangement (mother only) affect behavioral and emotional problems? Used NLSCY data of children 2-11 years of age Emotional and behavioral disorders: anxiety, emotional disorder, hyperactivity, inattention, conduct disorder, aggression, unsocial.

Results: Rates of Problems More behavioral and emotional problems in children living with parental separation than those living with both parents. Small difference: 32.5% vs 28% Majority (2/3rds) of children have no problems

Results: Rates of Problems Gender, number of siblings, and SES are better predictors of behavioral/emotional problems Being male increases chance of problems Prevalence for girls 38% less than boys More siblings increases chance of problems Each additional sibling increases chance of problems by 7% Mother’s education, age, and income are strongly related to problems Those with no high school are 42% more likely to report problems in their children Each year older the mother is, the odds of her child having a problems decrease by 8% Higher income associated with less problems

Results: Custody Arrangement Custody arrangement did not have an effect on the rates of problems Conclusions Conclude that behavioral and emotional problems are the result of a number of processes Resiliency in children Time since separation is important in healing

Children in Lone-Parent Families Almost 16% of Canadian children live in single parent families Research suggests they are at risk for mental and physical health problems, poorer well being, competence, and attainment. US data indicated they are 2x as likely to drop out of school and have kids before age 20, and 1.5x more likely to be out of work and school in late adolescence and early adulthood. But, Canadian data suggests children in single parent families grow up healthy

Canadian researchers looked at outcomes of children from single parent families Measured vulnerability (health, behavior, emotional and academic outcomes) among 2-11 yr olds. Found that the majority of children in single parent families were not vulnerable to poor outcomes Differences are due to a small number of children with extreme scores Parenting style was most related to vulnerability –More than income, parental and community resources, and family characteristics

Family Characteristics and School How do family characteristics affect school success? Researchers used NLSCY data of yr olds to see how families affect school achievement. Family School Relationships (FSR) Model: characteristics of the family that are most connected to school will have the greatest effect on school success –Child’s personal characteristics have the largest effect, then what families do at home to promote school success

SES directly positively related to achievement –Above and beyond family characteristics SES associated with positive attitudes towards school, which is related to school achievement SES associated with more social support, which is related to less depression, which decreases family dysfunction and ineffective parenting, which are associated with more positive school attitudes and higher achievement. Policy implications: improve SES –Target parents (psychological services, education programs, parenting classes)

Working Mothers and Learning NLSCY: 25% of Canadian preschoolers have some delays in vocabulary, 10% very low –At risk for school problems Researchers hypothesize that both family labor force and income both predict vocabulary –Labor force leads to more income (positive), but reduces time mothers spends with her children (negative) Used NLSCY data for yr olds. –Vocabulary (PPVT), Labor (weeks a mother works per year), income (family income). Amount a mother works has little effect on vocabulary Those who work more have children with higher vocabulary scores

Mothers who work more read just as much to their kids as those who work less Reading correlated with vocabulary Mother’s education more important predictor of preschool vocabulary than income Mothers with more education may talk more with their children and also have innate skills that they pass on to their children Income not as strongly related to vocabulary, and mainly for the very poor, so increasing income for these individuals may make a difference