Anonymous
are there studies showing rhe prevalence of child abuse in traditional families and in reconstructed families after divorce?
Answer
Studies have shown that the prevalence of child abuse is higher in non-traditional family structures. According to Marripedia, the rate of abuse is 10 times higher if the child is living with a parent who is cohabiting with another adult. The Fourth Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect has confirmed that marriage provides the safest environment for children, with the family environment with the lowest risk ratio for physical abuse being the intact married family. The rate of physical abuse is 3 times higher in the single parent family, 4 times higher if the mother is cohabiting with the child’s biological father (unmarried), 5 times higher if the child is living in a married step family, and 10 times higher if the mother is cohabiting with a boyfriend. In addition, children living with married parents are less likely to be abused or neglected. Blended families were identified in 15% of neglect cases, 11% of failure to thrive cases, and 36% of emotional abuse cases.
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