A single parent is a parent with one or more children, who is neither married, nor living together with his or her partners. Single mothers are far more common than single fathers. The definition of single parents may vary according to local laws of nations or provinces. But in typical cases, she or he may be so after divorce, after giving birth to a child outside marriage, or after his or her spouse died.

Some single mothers may have chosen to be so voluntarily (wanted pregnancy, adoption, wanted divorce) but for some others it is the result of accidental pregnancy, while not wanting or not having the opportunity for abortion, and not wanting or not having the opportunity for marrying or living together; or unwanted divorce; or widowhood. Financial problems or other social circumstances often play a role. Especially in the US, teenage single mothers have become a serious social issue (see also teenage pregnancy).

This phenomenon has become one of the serious social issues in advanced countries. A single father is less common because many single parenthoods are caused by pregnancies after which the father deserted the mother, and because after divorce, more often the woman gets custody of the children, and in the case the mother has no (longer) a relationship with the father, it is even more likely that the child will stay with the mother; the father may even be out of view. A single father is considered much less commonly a social issue and gets far less support from governments. The typical case of a man turning into a single father probably entails that his wife died or disappeared in other ways.

Sometimes, when a woman is pregnant, she and the father of the child feel the need to marry, or to marry earlier than planned, to avoid the shame (in some societies) and the legal complications of being a single mother. This is sometimes referred to as a "forced marriage". It has become more common in Japan and the United States because couples over there usually feel they have little reason to get married.

While many view single parents as being a modern phenomenon the percentage of single parents has remained relatively constant. For instance in 1900 13% of Canadian families were single parent ones, in 1996 the number was 14%. The major change is in cause. In 1900 most single parent families were the result of the death of a parent, while in 1996 they were usually caused by divorce. To put these figures into perspective, the population of Canada in 1900 was 5,301,000 and in 1996 it was 29,671,892.

Single parent homes are often described as "broken". This is a misnomer as many children living with only one parent lead productive social and educational existences.

See also

• widow

References and external links

• http://www.plannedparenthood.org/library/TEEN-PREGNANCY/Reducing.html
• Ito Peng, Single-Mother Families in Japan: A Conspicuous Silence
• Single parenting - At risk of child apprehension? The Foster Care Council of Canada