Abstract

In the United States, almost half of all children by age 15 will have lived in a single-parent family. Many authors have documented differences between children raised in father-absent and father-present homes. A few researchers have focused on resiliency and the strengths of single parent homes. Despite calls for a greater emphasis on discovering strengths, the majority of research concerning single parenthood has focused on the disadvantages faced by children raised in the absence of their father. This paper summarizes current research, discuss problems with that body of work, and suggests areas for further study.