
August 25, 2022
Center for Opportunity Now
Fatherlessness and Crime
August 25, 2022
An absent father affects all aspects of a child’s life, from socio-cognitive and socio-emotional development to academic performance. In addition, fatherlessness has a negative influence on criminal or delinquent behavior.
Fatherlessness in the united States
- Approximately 18,395,000 children in the United States live without a biological father, stepfather, or adoptive father present in the home.
- 23% of children in the United States are raised by a single parent. This is more than three times the world average (7%) of children raised by a single parent, the highest rate of any country in the world.
- Fatherless children are more likely to suffer from psychosocial development issues, live in poverty, drop out of school, engage in school violence, abuse substances, and enter the juvenile justice system.
- Approximately 41% of children are born to unwed mothers. For women under age 30, the out-of-wedlock rate increases to 53%.
- Single fathers are absent from approximately 80% of single-parent homes.
FATHERLESS CHILDREN AND RISK FACTORS
- 63% of youth suicide victims are from fatherless homes.
- 90% of all homeless and runaway children come from fatherless homes.
- 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions and 85% of youth in prisons come from fatherless homes.
- 80% of rapists come from fatherless homes.
- Fatherless children are six times more likely to live in poverty and commit criminal acts than children raised in dual-parent households.
- Approximately 85% of children with behavioral disorders have been raised in fatherless homes—20 times the national percentage.
FATHERLESS CHILDREN AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
- Fatherless children are three times more likely to be behind bars by the time they are 30 years old.
- Fatherless children are more likely to suffer from alcohol and substance abuse, participate in school violence, and engage in impulsive and delinquent behavior.
- From 1980 to 2010, the arrest data of fatherless boys ages 10 to 14 increased by 50%.
- Most adolescents who enter the justice system have suffered from parental abandonment, substance abuse, or a dysfunctional household. In a study of 75 juvenile delinquents, 66% experienced fatherlessness, 20% had never lived with their father, and 25% had an alcoholic father.
- Minimal parental involvement, unstable family dynamics, and the development of attachment issues—all common consequences of a fatherless home—contribute to an increased risk of juvenile delinquency.
- Fatherless children are 20 times more likely to be incarcerated than children raised in dual-parent households.
FATHERLESSNESS AND SCHOOL VIOLENCE
- 71% of teachers and 90% of law enforcement officials state that the lack of parental supervision at home is a major factor that contributes to violence in schools.
- In a study of 56 school shootings, only 10 of the shooters (18%) were raised in a stable home with both biological parents. 82% grew up in either an unstable family environment or grew up without both biological parents together.
Works Cited
More News
February 06, 2023
FACT SHEET: Give Texas Parents More Control Over Their Children’s Education
Moving all Texas school board elections to November of even years will provide parents with more awareness of how they can have an active voice in their children’s education.
February 06, 2023
FACT SHEET: Give Missouri Parents More Control Over Their Children’s Education
Moving Missouri school board elections to November of even years will provide parents with more awareness of how they can have an active voice in their children’s education.
February 06, 2023
FACT SHEET: Give Georgia Parents More Control Over Their Children’s Education
Moving all Georgia school board elections to November of even years will provide parents with more awareness of how they can have an active voice in their children’s education.