Single-mother Families Research Articles

Which Factors Predict L2 Receptive Vocabulary and Expressive Syntax in Bilingual Children from Low-SES Families?

The objective of the current study was two-fold. First, it aimed to estimate receptive vocabulary and expressive syntax skills in L2 Italian among early sequential/simultaneous bilingual children of migrant single-mother families with very low socioeconomic status (SES). This objective was achieved by matching the participants' performance with normative data. Secondly, this study aimed to identify which individual and language exposure factors contributed to learning L2 vocabulary and syntax. Twenty-four early sequential/simultaneous bilingual children (age range = 5.10-12.4 years) and their mothers were enrolled. Mothers answered questions about linguistic biography and demographic information. Children completed Lexical Comprehension, Sentence Repetition, and Non-Word Repetition tasks from the Language Assessment Battery for 4-12-year-olds to, respectively, assess receptive vocabulary, expressive syntax, and phonological processing. Moreover, non-verbal intellectual functioning was evaluated by the Raven's Test. Compared to normative data, 20 children showed lower receptive vocabulary abilities (<-1.5 SD), 24 lower expressive syntax skills (-2DS), and 7 children lower phonological processing (<-1.5 DS). Moreover, L2 phonological processing and the length of L2 exposure in an educational context positively predicted L2 receptive vocabulary as well as L2 expressive syntax skills. To date, performance in L2 among early sequential/simultaneous bilingual children from migrant households and very low SES remains underexplored. Future efforts need to be directed towards the understanding of factors that impact oral competence in L2, considering that these children will also be exposed to written L2 in the school context.

Strategi Pemberdayaan Kehidupan Sosial, Agama dan Ekonomi pada Keluarga Single Mother di Kelurahan Rojoimo Kabupaten Wonosobo

Single mothers in the Wonosobo area always increase every year, divorce is the main reason. The strategy of empowering social, religious and economic life in single mother families is very important for the life of single mothers in the midst of incomplete social and family life. The role of Islamic religious counselors is very much needed to realize the empowerment of social, religious and economic life in single mother families where they live among the majority of intact families. This research aims to find strategies for empowering social, religious and economic life in single mother families, especially in the Rojoimo sub-district. Wonosobo Regency. To achieve this goal, this research applies a qualitative approach to single mother families in the Rojoimo sub-district of Wonosobo. The findings of this research identify that Islamic religious instructors have a role in empowering single mothers. The empowerment strategy is carried out by applying social roles, economic roles and religious roles.

When One Is Not Enough: Exploring the Intersection of Multiple Public Benefits and Multiple Material Hardships in Low-Income Single-Mother Families

When One Is Not Enough: Exploring the Intersection of Multiple Public Benefits and Multiple Material Hardships in Low-Income Single-Mother Families

A Comparison of Children’s Social Behaviors in Single Mother and Two Parent Families in Japan

The present study examined the differences between young children from single-mother families and those from two-parent families based on their prosocial behaviors and behavior problems. Mothers’ affectionate parenting was also compared. We collected data using a Japanese online survey company. A total of 335 women who had a 3 to 5-year-old child participated; 51.2% of which were single mothers. The mothers rated their child’s behavior problems and prosocial behavior and answered a questionnaire on affectionate parenting. The results indicated a significant interaction effect of family structure and child’s gender on children’s behavior problems. The scores of girls were significantly higher than those of the boys in single-mother families, whereas no such gender difference was found in two-parent families. Concerning the scores of children’s prosocial behaviors and the mothers’ affectionate physical contact, however, there was no difference between single-mother and two-parent households. Limitations of using internet surveys were discussed.

Filial responsibilities and psychological wellbeing among Chinese adolescents in poor single-mother families: does parental warmth matter?

Adolescent children raised in single-mother households, particularly those living in poverty, often need to assume more instrumental and emotional familial responsibilities to cope with family challenges. This study examined the relationships between these filial responsibilities and adolescent psychological wellbeing, as well as the moderating effect of maternal warmth on these relationships via survey. The sample comprised 325 Chinese adolescent children (43.3% girls; Mage = 13.5) from economically disadvantaged single-mother families in Hong Kong. The results indicated that adolescents' instrumental filial responsibilities were positively associated with their life satisfaction. Emotional filial responsibilities, on the other hand, were positively linked to life satisfaction and negatively associated with depression. Furthermore, maternal warmth was found to moderate the relationship between emotional filial responsibilities and life satisfaction. Adolescents who perceived higher levels of maternal warmth and performed more emotional filial responsibilities reported greater life satisfaction than those who performed fewer such responsibilities. Furthermore, the moderating effect of maternal warmth on the relationship between instrumental filial responsibilities and life satisfaction varied between boys and girls. Additionally, the age of the adolescent moderated the effect of maternal warmth on the relationship between emotional filial responsibilities and adolescent anxiety. These findings suggest that filial responsibilities do not necessarily impede adolescent wellbeing. Instead, maternal warmth appears to be a crucial family factor that influences the nature of the relationship between filial responsibilities and adolescent wellbeing. These insights are valuable for family scholars and practitioners, informing the design of supportive services to enhance the psychological wellbeing of Chinese adolescents from economically disadvantaged single-mother families.

Family structure transitions and educational outcomes: Explaining heterogeneity by parental education in Germany

Recent research has documented that the effect of parental separation on children’s educational outcomes depends on socioeconomic background. Yet, parental separation could lead to a stable single-parent family or to a further transition to a stepfamily. Little is known about how the effect of family structure transitions on educational outcomes depends on the education of parents and stepparents, and there has been limited empirical research into the mechanisms that explain heterogeneity in the effects of family transitions. Using longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel and models with entropy balancing and sibling fixed effects, I explore the heterogeneous effects of family transitions during early and middle childhood on academic secondary school track attendance, grades and aspirations. I find that family transitions only reduce the academic school track attendance among children of less educated parents living in stepfamilies or with a single mother after parental separation, and among children of highly educated fathers living in single-mother families. The mechanisms that partly explain these effects relate to reduced income and exposure to poverty after parental separation. The findings underscore the importance of considering the stepparent's educational level, indicating that the adverse consequences of parental separation on educational outcomes are mitigated when a highly educated stepfather becomes part of the family. Overall, these findings align more closely with the resource perspective than the family stability perspective.

Effect of a Financial Education and Coaching Program for Low-Income, Single Mother Households on Child Health Outcomes.

The financial difficulties of parents have a negative impact on the health of their children. This problem is more pronounced in single mother families. There is limited research on low-income, single mothers and how interventions to help them address financial difficulties may also benefit their children. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a year-long financial education and coaching program on school absenteeism and health care utilization of children in employed, low-income, single mother households. This was a post hoc analysis of the Finances First study, a randomized controlled trial conducted in 2017-2020 examining the impact of a financial coaching and education program on economic stability and health outcomes in 345 low-income, single mothers. Either generalized estimating equations (GEEs) or generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) were used to account for relationships between participants. For the continuous outcomes of child absenteeism, physician visits, emergency room visits, and hospitalization days, a linear mixed-effects model was used. The Finances First study demonstrated improvements in various financial strain measures. Compared to the control group, children of intervention group participants experienced 1 fewer day of school absence (p = 0.049) and 1 fewer physician visit (p = 0.032) per year, but no impact was seen on emergency room visits (p = 0.55) or hospitalizations (p = 0.92). Addressing social determinants of health in parents is necessary for improving child health outcomes.

Analysis of Domestic Research Trends Pertaining to Children of Divorced Families

This study examined the trends of domestic academic research on children of divorced families by classifying them by period, method, target, and subject. From 2000 to 2022, 105 papers published in 58 journals were surveyed. In terms of research methods, quantitative research was conducted using questionnaires and panel data. The subjects of the reviewed studies were mainly elementary school children, and there were many studies on both divorced single mother and child families as well as divorced single father and child families. By analyzing the core subjects of the study, papers related to children's personal adaptation accounted for the largest proportion, followed by problematic behaviors, psychological difficulties, such as depression and stress, and relationships. In conclusion, due to the high divorce rate in Korea there is a need to focus academic attention on the children of divorced families. To this end, it is necessary to study the adaptation and protection factors of the children of divorced families. More qualitative research should be conducted on children of divorced families of various ages, not just elementary school students.

Šeimos politika ir vienų motinų šeimų stigmatizacija

This article investigates the stigmatisation of single-mother families in Lithuania’s family policy through qualitative legal document content analysis and semi-structured interviews with single mothers. It reveals historical policy biases favouring nuclear families, resulting in marginalised single-mother households despite recognising their economic challenges. Analysis of single mothers’ experiences shows how stigmatization negatively impacts these families’ well-being and political representation, hindering rights advocacy.

The impact of community engagement as a public health intervention to support the mental well-being of single mothers and children living under housing insecure conditions – a rapid literature review

BackgroundIn the UK, the population of homelessness and housing insecurity is increasing among families headed by mothers. The unique stressors of housing insecurity and living in accommodations ill-suited to long-term dwellings increase mental distress for mothers and children. Community engagement interventions present a public health opportunity to alleviate adverse outcomes for vulnerable families.AimTo synthesise and evaluate evidence of the impact of community engagement interventions in supporting the mental well-being of mothers and children living under housing insecure conditions. To synthesise the components of community engagement interventions as a public health intervention in alleviating mental well-being and non-health outcomes of mothers and children living under housing insecurity.MethodsA systematic search of five online bibliographic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Global Health and Child Development & Adolescent Studies) and grey literature (Carrot2) was conducted in May 2022. Primary studies with community engagement components and housing-insecure single-mother families were included. Intervention data was extracted using the TIDieR checklist and a community engagement keywording tool. The studies’ quality was critically appraised using the MetaQAT framework.ResultsTen studies meeting inclusion criteria were identified, across two countries (USA & UK). Data from the studies reported positive significant effects for health and personal maternal outcomes in addition to higher positive effects for child health outcomes (e.g., decrease in depression symptoms). Interventions targeting social support and self-efficacy demonstrated potential to improve maternal and child outcomes via the maternal-child relationship. Community engagement at the design, delivery and evaluation intervention stages increased the level of community engagement, however there were tentative links to directly improving mental well-being outcomes.ConclusionThere is evidence to suggest that community engagement may be applied as an effective intervention in supporting the mental well-being of mothers and children living under housing insecurity. Proposed intervention effectiveness may be achieved via psychosocial pathways such as improved maternal self-efficacy and social support. However, more embedded long-term process evaluations of these interventions are needed to establish maintenance of these observed benefits and to understand to what extent the findings apply to the UK context.

Does parental separation moderate the heritability of health risk behavior among adolescents?

Social influences on adolescents’ health risk behavior are well documented, but little is known about the interaction of parental separation with genetic sensitivities. Using data from a German sample of 1762 twins, this study examines whether family living arrangements moderate the influence of genetic predispositions on health risk behavior. Derived from variance decomposition moderator models, three key findings emerge. Firstly, genetic contributions to drug use are significantly higher in single-mother families, indicating an amplified heritability potentially resulting from triggered genetic sensitivities or challenges in preventing genetic risks from unfolding. Secondly, unique environmental factors have a greater impact on drug use in single-mother families. Lastly, no heritability differences are found in smoking and excessive alcohol consumption between family types. These findings provide novel evidence of increased importance of genetic influences on drug use in single-mother families, shedding light on gene-environment interactions, and informing policy interventions that support vulnerable family arrangements.

Do Living Conditions Differ Among Different Types of Single Mothers?: Empirical Evidence from Vietnam

While the prevalence of single mothers is increasing around the world, research on single-mother families has been based largely on evidence from developed countries. Comparable research based on developing countries is rare. We utilize the 1999 (n = 16,928) and 2009 (n = 140,753) Vietnam Population and Housing Censuses to perform multivariate analyses that examine living conditions among single mothers with different living arrangements, household headship, and marital status. Single mothers who were household heads or lived with their children only were less likely to have standard basic amenities, durable goods, and live in an owned residence. Separated, divorced, and widowed single mothers were more likely than the never-married to have standard basic amenities and durable goods. However, never-married single mothers were more likely to live at owned residences than were other single mothers. Findings suggest that such diversity among single mothers should be acknowledged and taken into account when designing social policies and programs to support single mothers.

Essential Workers Balancing Life and Work during the COVID-19 Syndemic in Spain: A Qualitative and Gender-Based Study

Rationale. During the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain, healthcare workers have experienced productive work overload, as well as an increase in reproductive work, which has worsened their mental health. Little research has been done on nonhealthcare essential workers although they have been exposed to similar conditions. Objective. To explore the experiences of essential workers after the first year of the COVID-19 syndemic in Spain on work-life balance, considering different professions and reproductive work responsibilities. Methods. Exploratory qualitative study using a gender perspective. Eighteen semistructured interviews were conducted via telephone or videoconference between January and March 2021. Interviews included essential workers in healthcare, social work, food related, and other settings, eleven women and seven men. A thematic analysis was conducted. Results. The disposition of essential workers for reproductive work, task sharing, and work-life balance differed according to gender. Reproductive work was predominantly the responsibility of women; work-life balance was especially challenging for single-mother families and families with children. Being an essential worker, performing face-to-face productive work during lockdown seemed to allow a sense of “normality” and personal space. However, it appeared to lead to feelings of exhaustion due to unsustainable working conditions and pressure on reproductive work during the first year of the COVID-19 syndemic. A lack of social recognition was perceived, especially among social workers. Conclusion. This study raises awareness of the difficulties of combining productive work that has become essential with reproductive work in a context of extreme social isolation and little social and institutional support. It questions the role of women in reproductive work, brings visibility to professions such as social work, and highlights the need to improve their working conditions. It is urgent to implement policies to mitigate effects on mental health and its determinants in the short term and long term to reduce gender inequity.

Parental educational support to adolescents: Exploring the role of emotional capital in low-income single-mother families in South Africa

In this article I explore the emotional resources activated by single mothers to support their adolescent children’s educational journeys. Mothers’ emotional work is often regarded as something that mothers must do (Gillies, 2006). However, this view does not recognise the power and influence that mothers exert to create opportunities for educational success. By centring the mother as the head of her family and drawing on the concept of emotional capital as a legitimate and valuable resource within single-mother families, it becomes possible to show how mothers in a low socio-economic community invest in their children’s schooling. This article is based on a qualitative case study of single mother families from a South African community. The findings show that the single mothers maintained strong bonds with their children, which enhanced perceived support and contributed positively to their education. Maintaining open communication channels, demonstrating authoritative parenting, and communicating pride in non-academic qualities were significant emotional practices that served to maintain these strong bonds. By engaging in these practices, these single mothers from low-income contexts activated their emotions strategically to support their adolescent child’s education.

Psychosocial Adjustment of Adolescent Boys from Inner-City, Low-Income, Single-Mother Families: Evaluation of a Youth Program

Psychosocial Adjustment of Adolescent Boys from Inner-City, Low-Income, Single-Mother Families: Evaluation of a Youth Program

Maternal Distress and Adolescent Mental Health in Poor Chinese Single-Mother Families: Filial Responsibilities-Risks or Buffers?

Single motherhood and poverty have a significant, negative impact on mothers and their children. When their mothers experience maternal distress, adolescent children have to take up more instrumental and emotional filial responsibilities to comfort their mother and adapt to related changes. Based on 325 mother-child dyads of Chinese single-mother families experiencing economic disadvantage, this study examined the relationship between maternal distress and adolescent mental health problems (indexed by anxiety and depression) and the moderating roles of instrumental and emotional filial responsibilities. Results indicated that maternal distress was positively associated with anxiety and depression in adolescent children. In addition, instrumental filial responsibility intensified the associations of maternal distress with adolescent anxiety and depression. Moreover, the moderating role of emotional filial responsibility in the predictive relationship between maternal distress and adolescent anxiety was different in boys and girls. Adolescent girls with more emotional filial responsibility reported higher adolescent anxiety than did those who shouldered less emotional filial responsibility when their mother exhibited more distress, whereas the relationship between maternal distress and adolescent anxiety was stable in boys, regardless of emotional filial responsibility. In short, the present study showed that parentification was likely to occur in poor Chinese single-mother families, and adolescent children who took up a more caregiving role in the family exhibited poorer mental health. Family counselling and tangible support for single-mother families experiencing economic disadvantage are urged.

The effect of self-concept and achievement motivation on the study habits of the children belonging to working and non-working mothers

Introduction: Research studies on the growth and development of adolescent children belonging to working and non-working mothers revealed that the children belonging to working mothers had to compromise a lot with their psychological adjustment, emotional health, and socialization compared to their peers belonging to non-working mothers. Another way the children of non-working mothers were found more pampered, bullied, and overconfident was their behavioural problems. The cognitive development of this group of children was drastically affected by their mothers as working professionals or house mothers. Rationale: Though there are many research studies available on self-concept, academic achievement, and study habits of the students a few studies were found to be related to the adolescent children belonging to working and non-working mothers. Again a few studies were there on the effect of demographic characteristics of the children on their cognitive development. Besides, it was also important to investigate the correlation between the variables through the demographic characteristics of the students belonging to working and non-working mothers. Objective: The purpose of the study was to find out the effect of self-concept and achievement motivation on the study habits of secondary school children belonging to working and non-working mothers. Also, to study the effect of independent and dependent variables through the demographic characteristics of the secondary school students. Again, the study also investigated the correlation between the variables primarily as well as through their demographic characteristics. Methods: It was descriptive research. The methods were quantitative and included standardized questionnaires for the survey. The population study includes all students studying in secondary classes. The purposive sampling technique was adopted. The sample size was 150(N=150) and again was segregated with various demographic characteristics. Research Tools: The Achievement Motivation Scale(n-Ach) developed by Dr. Deo and Dr. Mohan, in 1985 and the Students Self-Concept Questionnaire developed by Dr. Saraswat in 1985 and revised in 2010 were used as standardized research tools to collect the data. To consider the Academic Achievement criterion of the students their mark in their Pre-Board exams during academic year 2021-22 was taken into account. Data analysis and interpretation: The data were analyzed through the application of descriptive statistics, the t-test, and Pearson’s Product Moment correlation. Results: Self-concept and achievement motivation of the children belonging to working and non-working mothers had an extremely positive effect on their study habits (p&lt; 0.0001). Also, self-concept had a very strong effect on the study habits of both male and female students (p&lt; 0.0001). However, the achievement motivation of the children did not have a strong effect on their study habits((p&gt; 0.0001). The self-concept and achievement motivation had no significant effect on the study habits of students belonging to working mothers and living in rural areas. Better achievement motivation and better self-concept of urban students were found with better study habits. The self-concept of the children belonging to nuclear families with working and non-working mothers did not have a significant effect on their study habits. Achievement motivation did not have a significant effect on the study habits of the children of joint families. The self-concept and achievement motivation of the children from all three socio-economic backgrounds had a very significant effect on their study habits. It was found that despite their association with a single or both parents’ families their self-concept and achievement motivation have a very strong effect on their study habits. There was no significant correlation between the self-concept, achievement motivation, and study habits of the children belonging to either working or non-working mothers. There was a non-significant very small positive or negative relationship found between the self-concept, achievement motivation, and study habits of male and female students belonging to working and non-working mothers. There was a medium positive relationship between self-concept and study habits of students living in urban areas (r (98) = .493, p &lt; .001). Precisely, the study revealed that the self-concept of the children belonging to nuclear families with working and non-working mothers did not have a significant effect on their study habits. Between Achievement motivation and study habits of the students living in the same residential background (r (98) = .187, p = .063). There was a significant large positive relationship between self-concept and study habits of the students belonging to middle socio-economic background, as the (r (93) =0 .669, p &lt; .001). There was a significant large positive relationship between X and Y (self-concept and study habits), (r (98) = .993, p &lt; .00. A significant very small negative relationship between X and Y (achievement motivation and study habits) variables for the children living with both parents as the (r (98) = -0.872, p &lt; .001). A significant very small negative relationship between achievement motivation and study habits, (r (98) = 0.511, p &lt; .001) for the children belonging to single-mother families.

Colorblind on the color line: critical ethnography of racial inequity in a human service organization serving a community of single-mother families at the margins

AbstractThis study takes an in-depth critical ethnographic look at a local nonprofit human service organization, Lavender Refuge, that supports marginalized families. This study explored the communication of staff/volunteers and residential clients that facilitate or inhibit the nonprofit’s aims to create an inclusive community culture. Critical race theory and social identity theory were utilized as theoretical frameworks to better understand the culture of Lavender Refuge’s community. Findings revealed three dominant themes related to issues of racial (in)equity at Lavender Refuge. The desire for positive identities, controlled performances within the community hindering race conscious (Crenshaw, K. (1995). Race, reform, retrenchment: Transformation and legitimation in anti-discrimination law. In K. Crenshaw, N. Gotanda, G. Peller, &amp; K. Thomas (Eds.), Critical race theory: The key writings that formed the movement (pp. 103–126). New Press: Distributed by W.W. Norton &amp; Co.) communication. Further, conversations about race were seen as fostering intergroup competition along racial lines, explaining resistance to race communication. Our research team concludes with practical recommendations, resources, and training in hopes they could change the community culture so racial diversity is embraced and equity fostered.

‘We support child support:’ American women’s activism through the association for children for enforcement of support, 1984–2005

ABSTRACT In the United States, the fair and efficient enforcement of child support obligations has long posed challenges to all levels of government, often to the detriment of single-mother families. This article traces the local-to-national activism of the Association for Children for Enforcement of Support (ACES), one of the largest child support enforcement organizations in the country. Established in Toledo, Ohio, and comprised overwhelmingly of women, it demanded an end to unsympathetic characterizations of mother-led families as deviant, while simultaneously working to increase the stigma surrounding those who evaded child support – the so-called ‘Deadbeat Dads.’ Examining ACES’ work provides insight into ways in which women’s organizations drew from both conservative and liberal ideas, as well as creative activism, to gain bipartisan support for stricter enforcement of child support from 1984 to 2005. Confronted with the complexities of federalism, ACES did not fully achieve its goal for a federalized support collections system through the US Internal Revenue Service; nonetheless, its lobbying efforts played a significant role in transforming court-ordered child support in the US from a largely nonobligatory system to one where payment was more systematically enforced.

Sleep disturbance has the largest impact on children's behavior and emotions.

Children's behavior and emotions are affected by sleep disturbances, the parent-child relationship, media viewing time, and the social status of parents and caregivers. We conducted a questionnaire survey to identify the factors that have the greatest impact on children's behavior and emotions and how these factors relate to each other. A parental questionnaire survey was performed at a public elementary school. The questionnaire comprised questions on the family environment (e.g., family structure, media and game exposure, after-school lessons, and caregiver's work schedule) and physical information, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for parents' sleep condition. A path diagram was drawn to hypothesize the complex interrelationships among factors, and structural equation modeling was used to estimate the path coefficients. We identified several factors that significantly affected the SDQ score. The CSHQ total score had the largest impact, followed by after-school lessons, single-mother families, and children's sex. In addition, several indirect pathways that led to the CSHQ score (i.e., a pathway from time spent watching television to CSHQ score via children's bedtime and a pathway from single-mother family to CSHQ score via PSQI total score) significantly affected the SDQ score. Children's sleep habits that were influenced by several environmental factors had the greatest impact on children's behavior and emotions, which suggested that children's behavioral problems can be improved by interventions focused on sleep habits, such as sleep hygiene instructions.