The rate of family disintegration is at an all-time high, with nearly half of teenagers no longer residing with their two biological parents by the age of fourteen, according to a recent study.
The data reveals that as many as 45 percent of teenagers do not reside with both parents, despite official statistics indicating that only 24 percent of households are led by a single parent.
Researchers argue that official figures underestimate family disintegration because they fail to account for parents who enter into new relationships and those whose younger children’s parents separate at a later stage.
According to a study conducted by the Marriage Foundation think tank, the rate of family disintegration has surged five times higher since the 1970s and now stands at ‘epidemic levels.’ The report cautions that because the tendency for families to break down can be passed from one generation to another, these statistics are likely to deteriorate further in coming years.
The report stated: “A certain degree of family disintegration is expected. However, 45 percent? This ought to spark nationwide outrage.” According to official statistics from the 1970s, only 8 percent of households were led by a single parent; however, the research institute’s examination of information from the Millennium Cohort Study—which tracks roughly 19,000 individuals born between 2000 and 2002—revealed that this figure has surged to 45 percent.
According to the research, the primary factor contributing to family disintegration is not divorce, which has reached its lowest point since 1970, but instead the separation of cohabiting partners who have children together.
Eighty-five percent of the families that stay together with teenage children consist of married parents, whereas only thirty percent of the families that break apart fall into this category.
‘Two-thirds of family breakdown already comes from parents who never married,’ the study said, warning: ‘This proportion will increase.’
It was contended that this increasing statistic has been ‘concealed’ due to declining divorce rates and the rate of single-parent households staying constant since 2000.
It indicated that family disintegration is the ‘top predictor’ of adolescent mental health issues, subpar academic performance, and reduced self-worth—all factors anticipated to deteriorate further with the rising trend.
Harry Benson, the study’s author, remarked: “Family disintegration has reached alarming levels and is poised to worsen further. However, not a single politician or policymaker is addressing this issue. What explains this profound lack of discussion?”
Mr. Benson contended that ‘high-ranking politicians, most of whom are married, do not wish to appear as though they are “promoting” the structure or composition of families.’
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