14 DAY TRIAL // The traditional family is nowadays out of fashion and the number of mothers raising their kids alone is increasing (the same goes for lone fathers raising children).
But there are many risks involved in this situation.
A new research at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine points out the fact that boys growing up in one-parent households are exposed to the risk of being abused. "Children being raised by one parent are at a greater risk for many things as they grow up, including health risks such as poorly-controlled diabetes and asthma. We now must add childhood sexual abuse to part of this risk picture," said Dr. William C. Holmes, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania, and at the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center.
The research found that the increased risk was present, no matter the socioeconomic status, even if this risk was higher in the lower-income homes. "There is definitely something about being raised by one-parent that independently contributes to the higher risk for sexual abuse. While children from lower income one-parent households are at a higher risk, better socioeconomics of the household don't make the risk go away completely. There may be a psychological and emotional aspect involved in the increased risk for all one-parent homes", said Holmes. "Single-parent homes are likely to have the parent absent a good portion of the time because she or he must work to provide all the basic necessities for the family."
Exactly when parents are missing, the children are likely to search for an adult to bond and share experiences with. "Predators are pretty good at finding and grooming these sorts of kids. They set children up over time, earn their trust, act as parent-substitutes by giving them attention and sometimes gifts", said Holmes.
When this is combined with low socioeconomic status, the pedophile has much easier access to emotionally-needy children. In many facilities, there is no good oversight of who the child caregivers are.
In many cases, a single parent just pretends not to see what is happening in the desire for everything to be O.K., but trust must not replace the background check. "The individuals that are heading up these one-parent homes are unsung heroes, serving in the dual capacity as parent and provider, and are doing amazing things. Studies like this one call for interventions that will provide more help to these heroes and the homes they head up� for example, through actual funding of better childcare facilities and/or increasing oversight of who provides the childcare at such facilities", added Holmes.