Sender: mldart@mednet.Stanford.EDU (Marty Dart)
Date: 29 Jul 1994 11:34:42 -0700

Perhaps if we pressure the government into protecting the rights of fathers in addition to those of the mother, more children can benefit from the special relationship of TWO parents who care for them and are actively involved in their lives. Lets take a look at some statistics showing the effect the ABSENCE of a father has on the nearly 22% of American children in fatherless households:

• 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (Source: U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census)
• 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes
• 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes (Source: Center for Disease Control)
• 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes (Source: Criminal Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26, 1978.)
• 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes (Source: National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools.)
• 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes (Source: Rainbows for all God`s Children.)
• 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes (Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept 1988)
• 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home (Source: Fulton Co. Georgia jail populations, Texas Dept. of Corrections 1992)

These statistics translate to mean that children from a fatherless home are:

• 5 times more likely to commit suicide.
• 32 times more likely to run away.
• 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders.
• 14 times more likely to commit rape: This applies to boys of course.
• 9 times more likely to drop out of high school.
• 10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances.
• 9 times more likely to end up in a state-operated institution.
• 20 times more like to end up in prison.

Ms. Goodmans intent appears to be to support laws that would improve the living conditions of children throughout our country. The facts dictate that what children really need is a father in their lives, as well as a mother. Perhaps if such energies were directed at educating family courts who award sole custody to the mother in over 90% of custody cases we might see more of the results Ms. Goodman purports to desire.

As a father who has fought long and hard for joint custody of his children, I find Ms. Goodmans article offensive and alarming. I am deeply hurt by the insinuations such articles make of my character. I am legally damaged by the myths that propagate from such misinformation. I wish that papers such as your would quit giving space to the irresponsible journalists who perpetuate these types of gross distortions of truth.

Reply-To: Russ Schildt [Russ.Schildt@CORP.SUN.COM]
Sender: Fathers' Rights and Equality Exchange 
From: Russ Schildt [Russ.Schildt@CORP.SUN.COM]
Subject: The Facts...

Information from multiple sources show that only 10% of all noncustodial father fit the "deadbeat dad" category: 90% of the fathers with joint custody paid the support due. Fathers with visitation rights pay 79.1%; and 44.5% of those with NO visitation rights still financially support their children. (Source: Census Bureau report. Series P-23, No. 173). Additionally, of those NOT paying support, 66% are not doing so because they LACK THE FINANCILA RESOURCES to pay (Source: GAO report: GAO/HRD-92-39 FS).

66% of single mothers work less than full time while only 10% of fathers fall into this category. In addition, almost 47% of non-custodial MOTHER DEFAULT on support compared with the 27% of fathers who default. (Source: Garansky and Meyer, DHHS Technical Analysis Paper No. 42, 1991).

Total Custodial Mothers: 11,268,000. Total Custodial Fathers 2,907,000 (Source: Current Population Reports, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Series P-20, No. 458, 1991).

Total amount of child support owed - $14,800,000,000. Total amount of child support received - $11,100,000,000. (Source: Current Population Reports, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Series P-23, No 173, 1998).

66% of all support not paid by non-custodial fathers is due to inability to pay. (Source: U.S. General Accounting Office Report, GAO/HRD-92-39FS January 1992).

The following is sourced from: Technical Analysis Paper No. 42, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Income Security Policy, Oct. 1991, Authors: Meyer and Garansky -

• Custodial mothers who receive a support award: 79.6%
  Custodial fathers who receive a support award: 29.9%

• Non-custodial mothers who totally default on support: 46.9%
  Non-custodial fathers who totally default on support: 26.9%
  (Data obtained by asking custodial parents)

• All the following are for custodial parents-
  Single mothers who work less than full time: 66.2%
  Single fathers who work less than full time: 10.2%

• Single mothers who work more than 44 hours per week: 7.0%
  Single fathers who work more than 44 hours per week: 24.5%

• Single mothers who receive public assistance: 46.2%
  Single fathers who receive public assistance: 20.8%

And for good measure:

Children in sole custody are much more likely to be subject to parental kidnapping and/or physical harm.

F.S. Williams. Child Custody and Parental Cooperation. American Bar Assn, Family Law, August 1987.

Most early studies found a lesser effect of divorce on female children than on boys. Most recent studies, however, have shown that this was because latent effects can hang around for years, only showing up in post-adolescent young women.

N. Kalter et al. J. Am. Acad. Child Psychiat. 24, 545 (1985)

Daughters of single parents are:

53% more likely to marry as teenagers,
111% more likely to have children as teenagers,
164% more likely to be a single parent
92% more likely to divorce if they even marry.

Whitehead, Barbara, "Dan Quayle was Right," Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 271, No. 4, April 1993

Brent Wellman
Associate Director, F.R.E.E.[tm]

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