Facts about fatherless homes

Children in father-absent homes are five times more likely to be poor.

Compared to living with both parents, living in a single-parent home doubles the risk that a child will suffer physical or emotional neglect.

Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.

Youths in fatherless households had significantly higher odds of going to jail than those in mother-father families. Youths who never had a father in the household experienced the highest odds.

Teens without fathers were twice as likely to be involved in early sexual activity and seven times more likely to get pregnant as an adolescent.

Of all high school dropouts, 7 out of 10 come from fatherless homes.

Got questions? See Questions teen dads ask.

To see the source of this data, see Information sources.