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Keeping Family Courts Accountable While Too Many Families Are Unraveling
It takes just a few data points to portray the dissolution of too many American families today.
October 03, 2023 at 09:22 AM
9 minute read
Board of ContributorsIt takes just a few data points to portray the dissolution of too many American families today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other resources:
- In 1968, 42% of households were nuclear families (two parents plus one or more children under the age of 18). In 2018, that number had decreased to 22%.
- There were approximately 332 million residents in the USA in 2018, so around 73 million people were part of a nuclear family at that time.
- Currently, 40.4% of all births are to unmarried women.
- In 2021, approximately 7.21 million families were led by a single man with no spouse.
- As of 2022, approximately 60,000 minor children were being raised by a widowed parent.
- After no significant change between 2001 and 2007, the suicide rate among young people ages 10‒24 increased 62% from 2007 through 2021.
- The homicide rate among young people ages 10-24 increased 60% from 2014 through 2021, after no significant changes between 2001 and 2006.
- 15% of high school students reported having ever used select illicit or injection drugs (i.e. cocaine, inhalants, heroin, methamphetamines, hallucinogens, or ecstasy) and 14% of students reported misusing prescription opioids.
- 25% of women and 11% of men will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes.
- Roughly 1 in 100 children in the U.S. have their parents' rights terminated by age 18.
- Recent and comprehensive Florida specific data can be accessed here.
Florida Statute 61.13(3) provides in pertinent part that its family court judges consider the following factors in making custody determinations:
(3) For purposes of shared parental responsibility and primary residence, the best interests of the child shall include an evaluation of all factors affecting the welfare and interests of the child, including, but not limited to:
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