Gangs and the Single Parent Household

Why do children from traditional, close knit, conservative homes seem to do better in this game of life? Coincidence? I am of the belief that one of the most important crutches of a balanced upbringing is that of the mother and father being present in a person’s life from birth to adulthood one cannot truly understand what it takes to raise a family unless it is taught. Of course, there are exceptions, but the statistics show that you are at a disadvantage when you come from a broken home

                Many people ignore the aspect of guidance with the absence of a father. Who will a young boy turn to for guidance with little or no male presence? The answer in many urban areas is: Gangs. Many gangs seem to target young males without the father present in the home. Gang violence accounted for more than 8 percent of all violent crime in the City of Dallas in 1996. (Bureau of Justice Statistics; Miethe and McCorkle 2002; Fritsch, Caeti, and Taylor 2003). Can anyone really argue the relation of the broken home and gang members? Personally I have never met a person from a joint parent household who has participated in gang activity.

                If we were to all go back to the traditional values of America and raise our children the correct way, gangs and gang violence would be minimal. Of course this is post is mostly opinion and rhetoric based, but few would be able to create a solid argument could that hold water against mine.

When Family and the Economy Mix

The economy is a very fical creature. It can change from day to day, even from minute to minute. In fact I liken it to a husband, under the direction from his wife, arranging furniture in a new home. Even when the furniture is in place, at some point it will be rearranged again. A variety of things can cause these changes in our economy like turmoil in foreign countries, world politics, and basic supply and demand. Unfortunately these changes are not always good and the effects hit individuals and families alike.

What are some negative effects of a bad economy? Job loss is almost a given, resulting in unpaid bills, medical coverage floundering, and keeping food on the table a constant worry. And it doesn't stop with that. This is when the threat of foreclosure begins to raise its ugly head. According to an article in BusinessWeek, foreclosures are increasing "with 1 million residences having fallen into foreclosure since 2006, and an additional 5.9 million expected over the next four years". (Grow, Brian, Keith Epstein, and Robert Berner). Some families are able to stay strong working through adversity. Others do not have the will power to push forward no matter the odds. Every problem magnified to the tenth power. The emotional and financial stress weighing them down like a millstone strapped to their backs. And then finally one day, whether it be through divorce or a parent leaving without a single word, the family is torn apart. The result is not always the same, nevertheless a family has been broken and the choices that were made have been set into motion.

Works Cited
Grow, Brian, Keith Epstein, and Robert Berner. "The Home Foreclosure Fiasco". (Cover Story). "Business week 4120 (2009): 34-40. Business Source Complete. Web. 26 Nov. 2011

Males: The Absence of a Father

            I think we would all agree that growing up without a father can have long term effects on a child. A growing trend across the globe, particularly in the US, Is the acceptance of the single parent household. More times than not, this would be with the absence of the father in the home.  Between the years of 1960 and 2006 “The number of children living without fathers in single mother homes grew from 8 percent to 23.3 percent, while 34 percent of children currently do not live with their biological fathers” (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2007). This rising number comes with a price. Fatherless aggression, psychiatric disorders, drug and alcohol abuse and emotional distress just name a few problems that are directly related to the fater not being present in the home.

            In my opinion the father plays a huge role in young male’s lives. From sports to emotional support it is important for a dad to show his young boy how to grow into a man. Every boy latches on to his father and idolizes him. Of course there are circumstances where we just cannot reconcile with our spouses, maybe better planning and responsibility is the first step to slowing down this trend.