There is evidence that children of incarcerated parents are at risk of poor developmental and educational outcomes. However, much of this evidence is limited by biased samples, as studies must rely on opt-in recruitment. Administrative data present an opportunity to overcome this challenge, as they capture information on all incarcerated…

Understanding the financial well-being of single mothers who care for children with developmental disabilities is important to ensure that public policies can be effectively targeted to support these vulnerable families. The authors analyze data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to describe income poverty, asset poverty, income,…

Research on nonmarital fertility has focused almost exclusively on unmarried mothers, due in part to a lack of fertility information for men. Cycle 6 of the National Survey of Family Growth allows exploration of nonmarital fertility for both genders.The authors compare the characteristics of unmarried first-time mothers (n = 2,455) and fathers (n…

Studies of race and crime have emphasized the effects of social disadvantage and discrimination on increasing crime among African Americans. The authors extend this literature by examining various beliefs and institutions that have developed within African American communities that, in contrast, decrease criminal behavior. A model of…

The perceptions of 111 New Zealand children from different family structures and cultures were examined. Lone-parent families, blended families, extended family, non-residential parents and couples with children were highly endorsed. No great distinctions were made between married and cohabiting couples when the relationship included children.…

Compared 21 widowed mothers, 21 divorced mothers, and 21 married mothers on material, personal, family, and social well-being. Found that, compared with married mothers, divorced mothers revealed consistently lower levels of economic well-being, widowed mothers tended to have lower levels of personal well-being. Discusses implications for…

Public assistance and decennial census data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are used to examine whether welfare payments provide an incentive for mothers with minor children to separate from their husbands. (Author/AM)

Finds a significant relationship between characteristics of mothers' social networks and those of their children in a sample of 72 Swedish mothers and children. Nature and strength of relationships varied with mothers' marital status and children's gender. Networks of married mothers and daughters were most similar; networks of single mothers and…

Describes a study that analyzed television series programs from 1950-89 featuring families to identify racial/ethnic composition, number of children, head of household, marital status, and family configuration and to compare television family characteristics with real families based on census figures. (16 references) (LRW)

Investigated effects of divorce and family relations on young children's development in ethnically diverse low-income families. Found that soon-to-be-divorced families demonstrated higher rates of preschool-age behavior problems, and already-divorced families showed similar trends. Parental conflict and behavior problems accounted for pre-divorce…

Examines the perceptions of 192 college students who evaluated the personality traits and professional performance characteristics of mothers who were described as either employed or nonemployed, divorced or married, and with a 1-year-old or 11-year-old child. (Author/BJV)

Based on information from supplementary questions in the March 1976 Current Population Survey, the report presents data which indicate that women are contributing increasingly to family incomes. Analysis of the information reveals that the marital composition of the American labor force has changed significantly since 1970. A rapidly growing youth…