Posted on 06/17/2005 5:15:24 PM PDT by Lorianne
SEATTLE (AP) — Tough child support laws may dissuade men from becoming unwed fathers, a new study shows.
Researchers at the University of Washington and Columbia University found that states with the most stringent child support laws and strict enforcement have up to 20 percent fewer unwed births.
Child support laws' power to prevent single parenthood is an unintended consequence of a policy designed to help children and cut public welfare costs, the researchers said Friday.
"Often the unintended effects are bad, so it's refreshing to see that," said lead study author Robert Plotnick, University of Washington professor of public affairs. "Women living in states that do a better job of enforcing child support are less likely to become an unwed mother."
The percentage of unmarried births in the United States has increased from 10 percent in the 1960s to about a third of all births today. Because children of single parents run a higher risk of poverty, academic failure and other problems, lawmakers are always seeking policies that will discourage unwed births — usually focusing on the mothers.
Researchers said their study recognizes the father's responsibility.
"Decisions about sexual intercourse and marriage involve two people," said study co-author Irwin Garfinkel, a Columbia University professor and one of the nation's top experts on child support.
The study looked at a nationwide sample of 5,195 women of childbearing age. It has not yet been published. The data come from 1980-1993, but researchers said wide disparities still exist in states' child support policies.
For example, in 2002 — the most recent year for which data were available — only one state, New Jersey, collected at least 80 percent of owed child support. According to Columbia University's National Center for Children in Poverty, 31 states collected 41 percent to 60 percent of child support orders. Worst off was the District of Columbia, which collected less than 20 percent of all child support owed.
The study didn't show whether tougher child support laws prevented pregnancies or encouraged marriage. Plotnick said the data limited the researchers to observing a strong correlation between tough child support enforcement and fewer out-of-wedlock births. Whether that's caused by fewer unmarried people getting pregnant or more couples marrying when the woman is expecting, he could not say. But he said the findings warrant further study.
"It's been very hard to find conventional programs that reduce unwed childbearing that work," Plotnick said. "If you found a program cutting nonmarried births by 20 percent, you'd be happy."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA061505.1B.child_support.dc2fafc.html
Child support can make men honest
http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050614-111347-8821r
Very interesting!
The study seems silent on the possibility that it just means that potential fathers are using more birth control to prevent pregnancy.
Yes, or whether they are convincing the women to abort.
I hope it is the former.
There is only one thing that will stop out of wedlock births...or at least slow it up...social ostricism of the woman and man combined with ending any programs for unwed mothers. Let the churches and adoption agencies take care of them.
Or choosing hookers.
Social ostracism of women has never worked. That's how we got into the abortion mess we're in now.
We never tried social ostracism of men, only women and children.
This study suggest dual responsibility works.
Like it or not, women are the gate-keepers for society's morality. Being an unwed mother should not be a cause for celebration.
BTW, there never was an "abortion mess" until the left began pushing its "if it feels good, do it" mentality. Back-alley abortion propaganda is a scare tactic, not history...
Neither should being an uwed father.
Punishing the kids? That sounds like a good idea.
Hmm - later pingout.
How about no AFDC unless the mother and father were married and she becomes an actual widow?
Only a leftist could say that with a straight face. Of course it was intentional that stronger child support laws would lead to lower illegitimacy rates.
Yes, it is a scare tactic but it is also part of history. Wealthy women could pay competent doctors or leave the country for an abortion. Middle class/Poor women could either have the child and be ostracized and branded a "loose woman"...thus reducing the chances of her ever getting a decent paying job to take care of her child...or she could pay someone to perform an abortion....not necessarily a doctor, either. Let's see...will they choose bad, or worse?
How about not making the kids the pawns all the time?
Abortion, non support, ostracizing a child as a bastard ... all those do is shift the responsibility of the adults onto the child and making the child pay for the consequences of ADULT decisions. This is picking the weakest person to single out for punishment.
Sorry, I fail to see how punishing a child for being created is fair or moral. He had no say in his/her creation.
Make men personally responsible for the consequences of their actions and they'll use better judgement? Who knew?
(anyone but a liberal, that's who)
What a concept!
Wow - what an over reaction. All I said was no AFDC except to actual widows.
Apparently a large number of people need some incentive to stop acting like animals in rut.
There used to be orphanges and adoptions for children that were born out of wedlock if the women didn't want to raise them. Now adoption is so difficult and costly that many parents resort to spending tens of thousands for private adoptions through the classifieds, or just give up altogether.
One reason there are so many illegimitate children is the prospective rutters think that there's always welfare.
It's got to stop. One third of all births illegitimate is a shame to the nation. Children born to unwed mothers start off with a real handicap. It takes two to conceive, it takes two to raise a child properly.
I don't know how old you are, but when I was a teenager in the early 60's it was still considered shameful to have sex outside of marriage and to get pregnant before marriage. A little shame is needed, as well.
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