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6 J.L. & Fam. Stud. 213 (2004)
Gender Complementarity and Child-Rearing: Where Tradition and Science Agree

handle is hein.journals/jlfst6 and id is 219 raw text is: Gender Complementarity and Child-rearing: Where Tradition and Science Agree A. Dean Byrd, Ph.D, MBA, MPH* I. INTRODUCTION The notion that all family forms are equally as helpful or healthful for children has no basis in science. Indeed, there is no better example than the extensive research on children reared in single-parent families. The most au- thoritative evidence on children growing up in single-parent families (most often headed by single mothers) concluded that such children are three times more likely to have a child out of wedlock, twice as likely to drop out of high school, 1.4 times more likely to be idle (out of school and out of work) and 2.5 times more likely to be teen mothers. Lest one might suggest that the lower socio-economic level of children alone accounts for such statistics, these con- clusions were reached subsequent to adjustments for income-related variables such as race, sex, mother's/father's education, number of siblings, and place of residence (McLanahan & Sandefur, 1994). Perhaps, if we follow these statis- tics further, another picture emerges. Of children born out-of-wedlock, their chances of living in poverty are five times greater than that of growing up within intact families. Additionally, children born out of wedlock have a two to three times greater probability of having psychiatric problems as adolescents (Popenoe, 1996). Following this statistic even further, early sexual activity poses a great danger for adolescent health. Adolescents account for more than 25 percent of all sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) nationally. Women are twice as likely as men to acquire gonorrhea, chlamydia and hepatitis. Many STDs generate increased risk of one developing certain cancers, becoming in- fertile, and contracting HIV upon exposure. Tragically, STDs are passed on by women to their children at birth. We could carry this scenario further and in- clude excellent data on single parenting and child abuse, single parenting and violence. While it is clear that there are cases where children reared by single parents do well, such cases are the exception rather than the rule. The evidence shown by the substantial majority of children reared in single-parent homes is very clear: this one family form places children at substantial risks (Popenoe, 1996). * Dr. Byrd is President of the Thrasher Research Fund and Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine with appointments in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and in the Department of Psychiatry. In addition, Dr. Byrd has an adjunct appointment in the Department of Family Studies. 213

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