3. Problem Statement
What are the problems encountered by single parents in my community?
The study seeks to find out:
If single parent is a widespread
The causes of single parent
The problems that single parent face
The average of single parent
4. Reasons for selecting this area
of research
The researcher has chosen this topic because, I have been living on the
community for approximately sixteen years. I have noticed that there are a
number of single parent families in my community and having to submit a
SBA in partial fulfillment of the Social Studies course I have decided to do
an investigation into the challenges faced by single parent in my
community.
5. Table of Content
Acknowledgement………………………………………………….. 1
Problem of Statement ……………………………………………… 2
Method of investigation ……………………………………………. 3
Justification of method …………………………………………….. 4
Questionnaire ……………………………………………………. 5 - 7
Procedures used to collect data ……………………………………. 8
Presentation and Procedures used to collect data ……………….. 8
Graphs and tables ……………………………………………… 9 - 18
Interpretation ……………………………………………………. 19
Findings…………………………………………………………… 20
Recommendation………………………………………………….. 21
Appendix…………………………………………………………… 22
6. Method of Investigation
In order to collect data for this survey printed questionnaires were used.
This data collection tool was used because.
Justification of Method
It requires little time to be completed.
It can be done at the convenience of the person required to have it
completed.
It guaranteed confidentiality since respondents are not required to
attach their names to questionnaire.
7. Questionnaires
1. What is your sex?
Male
Female
2. What is your occupation? _________________________
3. How many children do you have?
1 – 2 5 – 6
3 - 4 over 6
4. What caused you to become a single parent?
Divorce Migration
Separation Death
5. How do you support your family?
Employed Family support
Self – employed Friends
6. In what age group do you fall?
18 – 23 yrs 24 – 35 yrs
23 – 29 yrs 35 – 40 yrs
7. Do you get any financial help from the other parent?
Yes
No
8. 8. How frequently do you get support?
The end of the week
The end of every two week
The end of every month
Other_________________________________
(please specify)
9. How long have you been a single parent?
1 – 2 yrs
3 – 4 yrs
5 – 6 yrs
Other____________________________
(please specify)
10. How long do you spend with your child/children per day?
Under 1 hour
1 – 2 hours
3 – 4 hours
11. Do your child/children attend school regularly?
1 day per week 3 days per week
2 days per week 4 days per week
5 days per week
12. What is the average grade of your child?
A C
B D
9. 13. Do you support your child/children with school work?
Yes
No
Sometimes
Other____________________________
(please specify)
10. Procedures used to collect
data
As stated earlier, Fletchers Land has approximately 200 households. It was
calculated that a sample of 80% was necessary in order to ensure accurate
conclusions on the level of prevalence of single parent families in my
community.
A total of 40 questionnaires were prepared for distribution to the
community members.
I therefore decided to choose the households by a process of random
selection which will cater for the requirements mentioned above. Each slip
of paper was folded and placed into a box. The box was closed and shaked
vigorously to ensure a thorough mixture of the numbers. A total of 20 slips
were drawn from the box, one at time, while shaking the box in the process.
The 40 households thus selected were then supplied with questionnaires I
waited until all questionnaires were completed and then went home to
analyze the data I collected.
Presentation and procedures used to
collect of data
A total of 40 questionnaires were distributed to community members of
these respondents, 90% were female and 10% were male.
11. Pie charts showing causes of single parent family.
Question 4
Figure 1
Fiq 1 shows the causes of single parent in my community. It can be seen
that 60% have become single parent due to separation, 20% have become a
single parent because of migration, whereas 15% were caused by divorce
and 5% of the single parent caused by death.
Death
Divorce
Separation
Migration
Key
12. Table showing length of time being a single parent
Question 9
Table 1
Options No. of persons Tally Percentage %
1 – 2 years 2 10%
3 – 4 years 4 20%
5 – 6 years 6 30%
Over 6 years 8 40%
Table 1 shows that 10% of the residents been living in the community for 1
– 2 years, 20% have been living there for 3 – 4 years, meanwhile 30% of the
resident have been living there 5 – 6 years whereas 40% have been living
there for over 6 years.
13. Pie chart showing whether or not single parent get help form the other
parent.
Question 7
Figure 2
Figure two (2) shows that Seventy-Five percent 75% of the respondents does
not get any financial support from the other parent. While Twenty-Five 25%
of the respondents get financial help from the other parent.
Yes
No
Key
14. Table showing frequency of the support
Question 8
Table 2
Options No. of persons Tally Percentage
The end of the
week
3 Ш 15%
The end of every
two weeks
5 IIII 25%
The end of every
month
2 Ⅱ 10%
Other/ whenever,
he/she brings the
money
10 IIII IIII 50%
Table two (2) shows that at the end of every two 15% of the respondents
receive money from the other partner, 25% of the respondents receive
money at the end of every two weeks, 10% receive money at the end of
every month whereas 50% receive money whenever the other partner
brings it.
15. Bar graph showing frequency of students’ attendance at school
Question 11
Figure 3
Fig 3 shows how frequently the child/children attend school. 40% of the
respondent child/children attend school 1 day per week, 35% respondents
child/children attend school 2 days per week, 25% attends school 3 days per
week, while 15% attends school 4 days per week and 5% attend school 5
days per week.
Table showing average grade of child
Question 12
Table 3
Options No. of persons Tally Percentage
A 3 15%
B 2 10%
C 6 30%
D 8 40%
0%
500%
1000%
1500%
2000%
2500%
3000%
3500%
4000%
1 day per
week
2 day per
week
3 day per
week
4 day per
week
5 dat per
week
days of the week
Key
16. Table 3 shows the average grade of the child/children. It can be seen that
15%of the child/children have A average, 10% of the respondents child
/children have a B average whereas 30% of the respondents child/children
have a C average and 40% of the respondents child/children have D
average.
17. Bar graph showing age group of respondents
Question 6
Figure 4
Fig 4 shows the age group of single parents within the community. Between
the ages of 18 – 23 years old 50% of the respondents are single parent, 35%
of the respondents are between the ages of 23 – 29years old, while 40% of
the respondents are between the ages of 29 – 35 years old and 10% of the
respondents are between the ages of 35 – 40 years old.
0
10
20
30
40
50
18 - 23
years
23 - 29
years
29 - 35
years
35 - 40
years
%respondents
Key
ages of
respondents
18. Table showing the number of children single parent have
Question 3
Table 4
Options No. of persons Tally Percentage %
1 – 2 3 Ⅲ 15%
3 – 4 5 ⅠⅠⅠ 25%
5 – 6 10 50%
Over 6 2 Ⅱ 10%
Table 4 shows the number of children the parents has. 15% of the
respondents have 1 – 2 children, 25% of the respondents have 3 – 4
children, while 50% of the respondents have 5 – 6 children and 10% of the
respondents have over 6 children.
19. Bar graph showing how single parents support their family
Question 5
Figure 5
Fig 5 shows how these respondents support their family. 10% of the
respondents are employed, 45% of the respondents are self – employed
while 35% get family support and 20% of the respondents support their
families by friends.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Employed
Self employed
Family support
Friends
Series 1
20. Pie chart showing whether or not parent support children with school work
Question 13
Figure 6
Fig 6 shows how the parent supports their child/children with schoolwork.
65% of the respondents help their children child/children with schoolwork
whenever they have time, 20% of the respondents provision with the school
sometimes, 10% of the respondents say yes the support their child/children
with assignments and 5% of the respondents does not assist their
child/children with assignments.
Whenever they have time
sometimes
Yes
No
Key
23. Findings
Their ex- partner supports some single mothers financially. However
emotionally single mothers are left on their own to see the emotional
and psychological side of the child development.
Results of a review of problems associated with separation indicate
that not only are very large numbers of children involved, but
separation seems to be associated with serious effects for children and
adults. A very substantial number of children of separation family
almost live in poverty and experience reduction in family income.
This is caused by poor performance of fathers providing financial
support for their children.
Manysingle parentshave problems trying tobalancetheir children
lives and personal lives. Most timeschildrenlack adequate attention;
these childrenare at risk for involvement in dangerous behaviorsor
self-injury due to thelack of supervision from parent.
24. Recommendations
The importance of knowing the consequences of being a single
parent can become effective. The Parenting Association within the
community can invite the National Family Planning board to educate
the younger residents on how to plan for a child, always try to use
contraceptive along with further discussionand solutions.
Social workers should visit the community at the end of every month,
to ensure that children are attending school, nutritious and also being
well cared for. Whereas person who can’t meet the financial status,
these workers will assigned the underdeveloped homes to the PATH
program, which will assist parent with financial and academics needs.
The child development agency in enforcing the Child Care and
Protection Act can take greater actions towards the parents not
supporting child, by placing the parent in court or imprisonment if
she/he refuses to support the child.
25. Acknowledgement
I proudly take this opportunity to thank my teacher Mrs. Rodney
for her valuable time in helping me with the gathering of this
information and ideas for this project. I would like to thank god
for the strength and knowledge he has given me throughout the
research of this project.
