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With the rise in divorce rates in the latter half of the twentieth century, the decline and delay of marriage, steep rises in single parent families, and more births outside marriage, people are now experiencing a greater variety of family structures - and family life is increasingly fragile.
Three quarters of all dependent children live in a family headed by a couple; 63% have married parents, and 13% have cohabiting parents. One quarter of children are living in lone parent families. (1)
In 2008 One Plus One held its biennial Edith Dominian Memorial Lecture on Family Relationships: Children's Perspectives. The lecture was taken by Professor Judy Dunn from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London. To find out more about the monograph click here.
Further statistics and research on family structure and family processes can be found on this topic page.
1. National Statistics (2009) Social Trends 40. (London: The Stationery Office)
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Children, Schools and Families Act 2010 More+
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At One Plus One's 2008 Biennial Lecture Professor Judy Dunn from the Institute of Psychiatry discussed children's relationships with their family. The monograph from the lecture, Family relationships, children's perspectives, is available to purchase here.
The proceedings from the 2006 Edith Dominian Memorial Lecture, Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing, at which Professor Sara McLanahan and Professor Irwin Garfinkel spoke about their research is available to download here.
Growing together, or drifting apart: children with disabilities and their parents relationship (2007) literature review from One Plus One can be downloaded here.
People in households in Great Britain More+
Household types: 1971-2009 More+
Percentage of children living in different family types: 1972-2007 More+
Stepfamily couples with dependent children, 2007 More+
Social Trends: Households and Families
National Statistics publishes in the yearly guide to UK society, Social Trends, on households and families. Including details of marriage and divorce rates and family make-up. This key chapter provides useful background for anyone studying families.
www.statistics.gov.uk/socialtrends
Focus on Families
Focus on Families looks at family types and explores similarities and differences between them. It also examines the relationship between families and health, unpaid care and education. Focus on Families is published by National Statistics. Full report
One Plus One's site The Parent Connection is specifically designed for parents who may be thinking about separating are separated and for those who would like to know more about co-parenting. The Parent Connection
Interactive information, advice, exercises and social networking for couples and parents from One Plus One. thecoupleconnection.net