Family, Income and Crime University of Montevideo Sept. 28,
2006 Patrick F. Fagan The Heritage Foundation
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The Five Institutions
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Note: Figures do not include transferred income.
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Impact of Divorce on Income of Families 10,000 Before
DivorceAfter Divorce 20,000 30,000 40,000 $50,000 1993 Average
Annual Income Source: Corcoran and Chaudray, Unpublished Research
Paper, Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, May 1994
Family Status
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Schema: Having Vs Belonging in the US
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EDUCATION
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Grade Point Average 2.5 Intact Married Parents Cohabiting
Parents Step Parents Source: National Longitudinal Survey of
Adolescent Health Wave 1, 1995 Family Structure Always Single
Parents Divorced Parents 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 Grade Point
Average (Out of Maximum of 4.0) 2.4
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School Expulsion Source Add Health Wave II 1996
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ABUSE, First CRIME, Later
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In Britain, a Child Whose Biological Mother Cohabits was 33
Times More Likely to Suffer Serious Abuse than a Child with Married
Parents 5 Biological Parents Married Mother Married to Stepfather
Biological Mother Alone Biological Parents Cohabiting Source:
Robert Whelan, Broken Homes and Broken Children, 1994. Family
Structure Biological Father Alone Biological Mother Cohabiting 10
15 20 25 30 35 Comparative Risk Ratios for Serious Abuse,
1982-1988
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In Britain, a Child Whose Biological Mother Cohabits was 73
Times More Likely to Suffer Fatal Abuse than a Child with Married
Parents 5 Biological Parents Married Mother Married to Stepfather
Biological Mother Alone Biological Parents Cohabiting Source:
Robert Whelan, Broken Homes and Broken Children, 1994. Family
Structure Biological Father Alone Biological Mother Cohabiting 10
15 20 25 30 35 Comparative Risk Ratios for Serious Abuse,
1982-1988
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Runaway Children in UK 0% Step-Families Lone-parent Families
Two-parent Families Percentage of children running away overnight
before the age of 16 10%5%15%20%25%
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CRIME CITIZENSHIP
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Problem Behaviors of Children by Parents Marital Status 2 Lied
About Something Important Stole from a Store Damaged School
Property Source: National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health
Wave 2, 1996 Hurt Someone Enough to Need a Doctor Drunk 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 9 10 Had to Bring Parents to School Skipped School without
Permission Divorce Intact Marriage
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Adolescent Cocaine Use By Family Structure Source Add Health
Wave II 1996
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Source: C. Harper and S. McLanahan, Father Absence and Youth
Incarceration, ASA Annual Meeting, San Francisco, August 1998. Data
from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.
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HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH
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Adolescents in Poor Health by Family Structure Source: The
National Longitudinal Study of AddHealth, Wave II (1996) PA58
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SEXUALITY AND MARRIAGE
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THE CULTURE
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Rejection/Ambivalence Ratio for Every 100 Children Born 40 1950
Children Aborted Children of Divorce 50 60 70 Children born out of
Wedlock 30 20 10 1954195819621966197019741978198219861990 Source:
National Center for Health Statistics data and Alan Guttmacher
Institute data
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Schema: Having Vs Belonging in the US
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Choice is the causation under our control Intergenerational
consequences of choice in family issues and behaviors. Teaching our
children to be their own cause Two paths on sexuality : Monogamy or
Not The way we treat sexual intercourse structures society
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Marriage Makes a Difference Especially if children are to reach
their potential But also for the familys income --- But income is
endogenous to family structure On every outcome measured the cohort
of children from intact married families does best..always,
everywhere.
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The nation thrives to the degree families are intact. The
nation pays to the degree they are not. Rejection weakens;
belonging strengthens Especially rejection or belonging between
mother and father.
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Congress saw the need to restore marriage in 1996 But punted to
the states.. Oklahoma took it up Congress acted on teenage Out of
Wedlock Births Introduced and financed Abstinence Education
Programs Feds now have 2 sex education policies
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5 Tasks --- 5 Institutions Family / Sex Affection Church /
Worship School / Education Government/ Citizen Marketplace/
Income
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WWW. FAMILYFACTS. ORG For Journal Research Findings