Single Parenthood and Social Competence in Children of Color

Increases in divorce and nonmarital childbearing have dramatically altered the family lives of children in the United States. The increasing number of children residing in single-parent households often has been linked to many of the nation's most serious social problems, including delinquency, teenaged pregnancy and welfare dependency; in fact, it is widely believed that single-parent families represent a risk factor for children's development. There are several methodological weaknesses in the research used to document the negative effects of single-parent families on children. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between single-parent family status and children's gender and social skills, utilizing a predominantly ethnic minority sample, while controlling for family socioeconomic status (SES). It was hypothesized that after controlling SES, there would be no differences between children (boys and girls) from single- and two-parent homes on measures of social skills and conflict management. This was a secondary analysis of data that were collected in a larger study focusing on child–parent relationships and conflict management. Sixty-eight preschool-aged children and their parent(s) residing in a large urban area in the southeastern United States participated in this study. Teachers of children in the study completed a social skills rating scale on the children, and parents provided necessary demographic information. Results indicated that there was no difference between boys and girls from single-parent and two-parent families on their social skills, including conflict management. Also discussed are the implications for practitioners and others who work with children from single parent homes.