The city of Springfield, Ohio, has recently gained some unwanted notoriety, but Springfield and other Ohio cities have real problems that have nothing to do with dubious pet barbecue claims. In these cities, the majority of children under 18 are being raised by single mothers (unmarried or divorced/separated) who do not live with the child’s father or stepfather.
In Springfield, for example, only 44% of mothers were married and living with their husbands and children over the five-year period from 2018 to 2022. In Cleveland, that rate was just 33%. in Youngstown, 32%; In Cincinnati, it’s 46%. In contrast, in the suburban community of Cleveland Heights, 63% of mothers were married, while in New Albany, Ohio, 91% were married. Across Ohio, 68% of mothers are married and live with their husbands and children. 1
Father Absence and Child Poverty
Ohio cities, where single motherhood is the norm rather than the exception, have high rates of child poverty. In Springfield, one-third of all children lived in households below the official poverty level between 2018 and 2022. In Youngstown, it was half. In Cleveland, it’s 46%. 3rd while in Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the child poverty rate in Cleveland Heights, where marrying and raising children is more common, was 19 percent, and in New Albany, it was 4 percent. The overall child poverty rate in Ohio was 18%.
Figure 1 shows the inverse relationship between the proportion of married mothers and child poverty rates in 17 Ohio cities. For every 10 percentage point decrease in the percentage of married mothers, the percentage of children living in poverty in the city increases by 7.5 percentage points. As shown in the graph, the linear relationship between the two variables accounts for 98% of the variation in child poverty across these jurisdictions.
There are several reasons why child poverty rates are higher in Ohio cities with more unwed mothers. Many nonresident parents (usually the child’s biological father) provide little or no financial support to the child. Single mothers struggle to take care of their children, especially young ones, while working outside the home. Government aid programs like food stamps tend to phase out quickly as household income increases, creating a disincentive to work. Without a cohabitation or joint custody agreement, single mothers cannot benefit from the sharing of childcare and work responsibilities that most married couples practice.
Additionally, single mothers generally tend to have lower levels of education than married mothers2, reducing their earning potential3. Poorer than married couples4.
Absent father and violent crime
Ohio’s cities, where single parents are the norm, also have high rates of violent crime. In Springfield, for example, 1,298 violent crimes per 100,000 residents were reported to police in 2023. Cleveland has 1,895 cases. Cincinnati, 800. Meanwhile, Youngstown had 699 people. By contrast, Cleveland Heights, where marriage and raising children are also more common, had a violent crime rate of 267 in 2023, and New Albany’s 99. Ohio’s overall violent crime rate was 294 in 2022. .
Figure 2 shows the inverse relationship between the percentage of married mothers and violent crime rates in 17 Ohio cities in 2023. As the proportion of married mothers decreases, violent crime rates increase exponentially. As shown in the graph, the curvilinear relationship between the two variables accounts for 84% of the variation in violent crime rates across these jurisdictions.
Why are violent crime rates so high in Ohio cities with large numbers of unwed mothers? There are several reasons. Single-parent families with children are more likely to move frequently and live in dangerous areas as a result of family discord5. This makes them more likely to become victims of both property and violent crimes.
After breaking up with a child’s other parent, one parent usually starts dating and tries to find a new partner. This process often involves leaving the house at night, sometimes leaving the children with inadequate supervision, and exposing the children to strange (and sometimes dangerous) men. As children reach adolescence, they may have problems with less-than-ideal neighborhoods and school peers, which can lead to dangerous situations and activities. Children in single-parent families are also more likely to have a father or sibling with a criminal record than children in two-parent families.
Many single mothers go to great lengths and personal sacrifices to prevent their children from becoming victims or perpetrators of violent crime, and in most cases they do nothing to keep their children safe and out of trouble. It’s successful. However, research continues to show that the best form of family security and delinquency prevention is a stable marriage with the father in the home.
Policy prescriptions that could make the problem worse
Ohio isn’t the only state with cities where single parenthood is common and rates of child poverty and violent crime are high. Unfortunately, common policy prescriptions to support families with children and reduce child poverty, if implemented, may make the problem worse rather than better. Most of these prescriptions apply to new parents, regardless of whether the parents are married, have graduated from high school, have a history of substance abuse, child abuse or neglect, mental illness, or criminal behavior. This includes giving money to people who have lost children, and even to all parents of young children. . While the intention is to reduce child poverty, an unintended consequence may be reduced motivation for careful and responsible parenting6.
Instead of handing out cash to new parents, it would be wise to launch an initiative for public schools in Ohio and other states to better teach students about parenthood and the importance of prenatal marriage for future success. The happiness of children who are thought to be. More students may earn their diplomas and learn something about the dangers of teenage pregnancy. However, they do not seem to fully appreciate the benefits of marriage, especially for children.
Nicholas Gill is a research psychologist and senior research fellow at the Institute for Family Research. He directed the National Child Study, a longitudinal study that produced widely cited findings about children’s life experiences and their parents’ post-divorce adjustment.
Editor’s note: Download the full research brief to see the appendix listing child poverty and violent crime rates for 17 Ohio cities.
1. U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for Education Statistics, 2018-2022 American Community Survey.
2. The 2022 National Child Health Survey found that 68% of children with married birth parents had a parent with a college degree or higher, compared to 29% of children living with single mothers. 16% of children with married birth parents had less than a high school education, compared to 45% of children with single mothers. (p < ,0001).
3. The 2022 National Child Health Survey found that only 1.3% of children with married birth parents also had an unemployed parent, compared to 1.3% of children living with a single mother whose mother was not employed. It was 24.7%.
4. The 2022 National Child Health Survey found that after controlling for children’s race, Hispanic origin, age, gender, and parental education level, children from broken homes are more likely to live in poverty than children living with married biological parents. The probability of falling into this category was 2.53 times higher. (p < .0001).
5. Move more often: The 2022 National Child Health Survey found that children living with married birth parents moved an average of 1.25 times since birth, compared to 2.12 moves for children living with a single mother. It was times. . Forty-one percent of children with married birth parents had never moved since birth, compared with 26 percent of children living with unmarried mothers. Six percent of children with married birth parents had moved five or more times since birth, compared with 17 percent of children with single mothers who had moved frequently (p < .0001). Unsafe neighborhoods: The 2022 National Child Health Survey found that 69% of children living with married biological parents lived in neighborhoods that their parents described as “definitely safe,” compared to 69% of children living with single mothers. 56% of children say their mothers feel the same way about their children. neighborhood. 3% of children with married birth parents lived in areas described as 'somewhat' or 'definitely unsafe' compared to 9% of children with single mothers (p<.0001) .
6. For example, in 2022, Medicaid paid for 73% of births to white teenagers. 85% of births are to black teenagers. And 73% of births were to Hispanic teens. (National Vital Statistics Vol. 73 No. 2, April 4, 2024. Table 19)
