The Right of the Child to the Marriage of His Parents Patrick F. Fagan, Ph.D. Family Research Council Rhode Island Family Conference Feb. 27th th. 2010

The Thriving Parent Marriage / Child Relationship

The Non-Thriving Marriage / Child Relationship

Society = Relationships

Future of Society = The Child

Divorce OWB

International Rejection Ration USA

Ideal of Family

Reality of Family

5 Tasks, 5 Institutions

Basic Tasks Family Next Generation Religion Moral Universals, Worship School To Know Government Protection Marketplace Income, Property

Society’s Basic Tasks Gov School Market Family Church

Individual’s Basic Tasks Gov School Market Family Church

Couple’s Basic Tasks Gov School Market Family Church

Family’s Basic Tasks Gov School Market Family Church

Society’s Basic Task Gov School Market Family Church

Society’s Basic Task Gov School Market Family Church $$$$

Yearly Income, 200, Families With Children Note: Figures do not include transferred income

Children in Poverty, 2000

Children in Poverty 3.93 Million Children 3.17 Million Children 0.75 Million Children Unmarried ParentsSame Parents Married Source R Rector: Analysis of CPS 2001 In Poverty Out of Poverty In Poverty

Marriage Premium in Male Income Comparative Income % + $27 = $127 $100 Source Antovics, K. & Town, R. Am Econ Review V 94, (2004) pp

Income of Divorce on Income of Families Family Status 42% 1993 Average Annual Income Source: Corcoran and Chaudray, Unpublished Research Paper, Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, May 1994

Median Net Worth of Families With Children Under 18 (2000) Source: Survey of Consumer Finance, 2001

$

Schema: Having vs. Belonging in the US ?

$$$ INCOME - ECONOMY

INCOME - FAMILY ECONOMY

Society’s Basic Tasks Gov School Market Family Church

School Expulsion Source Add Health Wave II 1996

Educational Attainment Ideal

Educational Attainment

Gov School Market Family Church Society’s Basic Tasks

Safety vs. ABUSE

In Britain, a Child Whose Biological Mother Cohabits was 33 Times More Likely to Suffer Serious Abuse than a Child with Married Parents 5 Biological Parents Married Mother Married to Stepfather Biological Mother Alone Biological Parents Cohabiting Source: Robert Whelan, Broken Homes and Broken Children, Family Structure Biological Father Alone Biological Mother Cohabiting Comparative Risk Ratios for Serious Abuse,

In Britain, a Child Whose Biological Mother Cohabits was 73 Times More Likely to Suffer Fatal Abuse than a Child with Married Parents 5 Biological Parents Married Mother Married to Stepfather Biological Mother Alone Biological Parents Cohabiting Source: Robert Whelan, Broken Homes and Broken Children, Family Structure Biological Father Alone Biological Mother Cohabiting Comparative Risk Ratios for Serious Abuse,

Runaway Children in UK 0% Step-Families Lone-parent Families Two-parent Families Percentage of children running away overnight before the age of 16 10%5%15%20%25%

Source: C. Harper and S. McLanahan, “Father Absence and Youth Incarceration,” ASA Annual Meeting, San Francisco, August Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.

Good Law and Order

Diminished Law and Order

Gov School Market Family Church Society’s Basic Tasks

IDEAL OF FAMILY

REALITY OF FAMILY

BELONGING: MALE + FEMALE FAMILY CHILD FATHERMOTHER SOCIETY AT LARGE

REJECTION: MALE vs. FEMALE FAMILY CHILD SOCIETY AT LARGE FATHERMOTHER

The Most Basic Right of All Children — In Every Age and Place

International Rejection Ration USA

Future of Society = The Child

The Future of the Child is the Marriage of his/her Parents