Specific Stresses--Divorce, Jobs and Parents Working Too Hard

    Families face a variety of stresses ranging from burdensome taxation to unstable jobs and insufficient societal respect for the tasks of parenting. Topping the stress list is divorce and family breakdown. This portrait of Canadians' views of the sources of family stress emerges from responses to the following battery of questions:

I'm going to read you a short list of possible stresses on families. Please tell me if each stress is much more serious, somewhat more serious, somewhat less, or much less serious than, say, a generation ago. Don't prompt but record dnk or same/unchanged. [rotate]
Divorce and family breakdown
Parents working too hard or too many hours in a day
Insecure or unstable job conditions
Taxes being too high for parents with children
Not enough respect in society for the effort that parents put into bringing up children

    Strong majorities believe that each one of the above family stresses is at least "somewhat more serious" than a generation ago, if not "much more serious." In descending order of seriousness are the following sources of familial stress:

• Divorce and family breakdown - 69% much more serious, 20% somewhat more, 3% same, 6% somewhat less, 2% much less
• Insecure or unstable job conditions - 66% much more serious, 28% somewhat more, 2% same, 3% somewhat less, 1% much less
• Parents working too hard or too many hours in a day - 57% much more serious, 33% somewhat more, 4% same, 4% somewhat less, 1% much less
• Taxes being too high for parents with children - 52% much more serious, 38% somewhat more, 3% same, 6% somewhat less, 1% much less
• Not enough respect for efforts parents put into raising children - 39% much more serious, 39% somewhat more, 4% same, 13% somewhat less, 5% much less serious

Serious Economic and Parenting Problems

    Canadians believe that single parent households are facing even greater challenges than families as a whole. This portrait of concern emerges from responses to the following question:

As you may know, there's been some talk over the last few years about the effect of divided families and single parenthood on child poverty. There's also been talk about the economic, social, and psychological challenges faced by single parents bringing up children on their own. Would you say the challenges faced by single parent households are far more serious, more serious, somewhat more serious, or not more serious than the challenges experienced by two-person households?

    Almost half of respondents (47%) say that the challenges facing single parent households are far more serious than the challenges experienced by two-person households. The remaining half say that the challenges faced by single parent households are more serious (25%), somewhat more serious (23%) or not more serious (5%) than two-person households. Canadians' concern about the special stresses encountered by single parent households is reflected in the fact that those who believe that single parent stresses are "far more serious" outnumber 10:1 those who say that the stresses facing single parent families are not more serious than the challenges experienced by two-parent households.

    The only departure from this Canada-wide consensus is Quebecers' even more intense feeling that the challenges experienced by single parent households are far more serious - 56% compared to 47% of Canadians as a whole.

    Canadians take the view that single parent households are beset by a wide variety of stresses, among which financial and economic challenges top the list. The actual question and response distribution below:

There's been talk about some specific challenges faced by single parent homes, for example [rotate the list of challenges]
their financial and economic challenges.
In your judgement, are the challenges for single parents far more serious (54%), more serious (40%), less serious (6%), or far less serious (1%) than the challenges facing two-person households?

How about the challenges having a parent around to supervise the child's activities and keep the child out of trouble?
Are the challenges for single parents far more serious (46%), more serious (48%), less serious (5%), or far less serious (1%) than the challenges facing two-parent families?

and their challenges monitoring the child's school work
Are the challenges for single parents far more serious (28%), more serious (59%), less serious (11%), or far less serious (2%) than the challenges facing two-parent families?

and their challenges giving the child a sense of a stable home life
Are the challenges for single parents far more serious (41%), more serious (50%), less serious (7%), or far less serious (1%) than the challenges facing two-parent families?

    Although all Canadians agree that the stresses besetting single parent households are more serious than the stresses facing two-person households, some demographic variations do occur. For example,

• Quebecers are slightly more inclined than Canadians as a whole to see any individual stress facing single parents as far more serious--that financial and economic challenges are far more serious for single parent households (63% vs. 54% for Canadians as a whole), the challenges of monitoring the child's school work are far more serious for single parent households (36% vs.28% among Canadians as a whole), and the challenges of giving the child a sense of a stable home life are far more serious for single parent households (51% vs. 41% among Canadians as a whole);
• Men are slightly more likely than women to see some single parent stresses as far more serious than in the case of two parent families--that the challenges of monitoring a child's school work are far more serious for single parent households than for two-person households (32% vs. 24%), and that the challenges of giving the child a sense of a stable home life are far more serious for single parent households (45% vs. 37%)
• Highly educated Canadians are more likely than less educated to say that the financial and economic challenges facing single parent households are far more serious than for two-person households (57% and 60% among those with some university and university grads respectively, vs. 46% and 49% among those with less than highschool and a highschool education respectively)
• Younger Canadians are slightly less likely than older Canadians to think that the challenges of having a parent around to supervise the child are far more serious for single parent households (40% and 44% for those under 30 and in their 30's respectively, vs. 51% and 47% among those in their 40's and 50 and older respectively).

Divided Families and the Psychological Health of Children

    Canadians agree that the emotional upset of children from divided families is serious. Canadians also feel a moderate concern for their success in the workforce and their potential for run-ins with the law. This portrait of concern emerges from the responses to the following question:

It has been suggested that children from single parent or divided families face some disadvantages, for example [rotate list]
There's a greater chance that they will be less successful in school and the workforce
How serious a problem is this in your view...extremely, very, somewhat, not really, or not at all?
Also the children of divided families can be emotionally upset.
There's a greater chance that children from divided and dysfunctional families will have run-ins with the law.

    Most Canadians (56%) feel that the problem of children from divided families being emotionally upset is at a least a very serious (33%), if not an extremely serious problem (23%). Canadians also agree that the other consequences of divided families are virtually as worthy of concern. Thus, 52% view as serious (20% extremely serious, 32% very serious) the prospects of children from divided and dysfunctional families experiencing more run-ins with the law. There is lesser, albeit palpable, concern about the diminished economic prospects of children from divided families. Thus, a large plurality view as serious (16% extremely serious, 27% very serious) the dilemmas of reduced success at school and in the workforce for the products of divided families.

    Men and women agree to an extraordinary degree on these issues while a hint of regional differences comes to the surface. Thus, Westerners are slightly less likely than other Canadians to think that the problem of children from divided families being less successful in school and the workforce is an extremely serious problem (11% vs. 16% among Canadians as a whole). For their part, Ontarians are slightly more likely than other Canadians to view the problem of children from divided families being emotionally upset as an extremely serious problem (26% vs. 23% among Canadians as a whole).

    Intriguingly, the less educated are slightly more apt than other Canadians to view the problem of children from divided families being emotionally upset as extremely serious (32% vs. 23% among Canadians as a whole). The empathy of the less educated may conceivably arise from the fact that they may have more opportunity to observe the emotional fallout from divorce in situations where divided families lack the financial security to help cushion the emotional blows.

The Dilemmas in Divorce Courts

Fathers and Children Ignored in the Courts

    Men and women agree by huge margins that the needs of children and fathers get short shrift in divorce courts. On balance Canadians believe that the needs of mothers in divorce courts are being met though men are more sanguine on this score than women.

    The preceding portrait emerges from responses to the following question battery:

When married couples with children seek a divorce in divorce courts, do you think

• The needs of mothers receive too much attention (29%), about the right amount (42), or too little (30)
  
• The needs of fathers... too much attention (9), about the right amount (29), or too little (62)
  
• The needs of the children... too much attention (5), about the right amount (25), or too little (70)
  

• Canadians are more than twice as likely to say that the needs of children and fathers are getting too little attention as in the case of the needs of mothers-70% in the case of children's needs and 62% in the case of fathers' needs vs. 30% in the case of the needs of mothers
• Canadians are almost 7 times more likely to say that fathers get too little as opposed to too much attention and 14 times more likely to say that children get too little as opposed to too much attention whereas people are evenly divided as to whether the needs of mothers get too much or too little attention.

Non-Custodial Relationships Are Vital, and Government Should Do More to Protect These Relationships

    A painful and increasingly newsworthy issue is the ongoing presence and rights of non-custodial parents in divorce and family breakup. Canadians agree overwhelmingly that it is very important for the children to maintain a relationship with the parent in whose home they do not live. The actual question and responses below:

How important is it for children from divorced parents to maintain an ongoing relationship with the non-custodial parent, that is the parent in whose home they do not live...

very important	80%
somewhat	17%
not really	2%
or not at all?	1%

    Perhaps because their generation has experienced particularly high rates of family breakup, Canadians in the youngest cohort, people under 30 years of age, are particular sensitive about the need for continuity of relationship with the non-custodial parent. Thus, 86% of the youngest cohort believe that it is very important to maintain an ongoing relationship with the non-custodial parent compared to 80% among the public as a whole.

    Given Canadians' desire for children to maintain ongoing relationships with their non-custodial parents, one might expect the public to also favour government action to protect the access rights and obligations of non-custodial parents. Indeed, that is precisely how the public feels. This portrait of public opinion on the matter emerges from responses to the following question:

As we near the end of the interview, I'm going to read you a list of things governments can do to make it easier for families to stay together or, if the parents are divorced, make it easier for them to do a good job of parenting the children. Please tell me if each should become a very high priority, a high priority, a priority, somewhat of a priority, or no priority at all?
if the parents are divorced or separated, making it more difficult for the caregiver to prevent the children from seeing their other parent

    Almost two-thirds of Canadians (65%) agree that the government should make it a priority (17%), if not a high priority (23%) or a very high priority (25%) to make it difficult for the caregiver to prevent the children from seeing their other parent. Barely a fifth (23%) believe that this should be no priority at all while 13% feel that it should be somewhat of a priority.

    The desire for government action to protect the access rights of non-custodial parents is consensual, cutting across all demographic groups. The sole exception is a pattern of especially intense concern among Quebecers-as many as 32% of Quebecers say that the government should make this a very high priority compared to 25% among Canadians as a whole.

Protecting Matrimony-Support for Thwarting Break-ups Involving Children and Strong Support for Compulsory Marriage Preparation Courses

    Canadians want governments to take a more active role in helping families stay together, especially where children are involved. A large majority of the public would like to see marriage preparation courses made compulsory as a way of transmitting the marital skills necessary for keeping families intact. Considerable interest also emerges for making divorce more difficult to achieve where children are involved. This portrait emerges from responses to the following questions:

As we near the end of the interview, I'm going to read you a list of things governments can do to make it easier for families to stay together or, if the parents are divorced, make it easier for them to do a good job of parenting the children. Please tell me if each should become a very high priority, a high priority, a priority, somewhat of a priority, or no priority at all?
requiring couples to take a marriage preparation course before their wedding
making it somewhat more difficult to get divorced where children are involved

    The greater enthusiasm is expressed for compulsory marriage preparation courses. Barely a fifth (21%) say that this idea should receive no priority consideration. More than three-fifths (61%) of Canadians believe that creating a mandatory marriage preparation course before the wedding should be at least a priority (16%), if not a high priority (21%) or a very high priority (24%) for the government. The remaining 18% take a middling ground, advocating that making the course mandatory should be somewhat of a government priority.

    Canadians are less enthusiastic but nonetheless largely supportive of making divorce more difficult where children are involved. Under a third (31%) say that this idea should receive no priority consideration. Meanwhile, half of Canadians (50%) believe that making it more difficult for parents with children to obtain a divorce should be at least a priority (17%), if not a high priority (18%) or a very high priority (15%) of the government.

    Men and women differ somewhat on these issues with women more inclined to support mandatory course preparation and men more inclined to support making divorce more difficult where children are involved. Women are more likely than men to think that the government should make a mandatory marriage preparation course a "very high priority" (28% vs. 20%). Men are more likely than women to favour the government making it a high priority for divorce to become more difficult to achieve for couples with children (20% vs. 11%).

    Reflecting perhaps their greater exposure to family breakdown, Quebecers are especially supportive of making divorce more difficult in the event of children. Thus, 27% of Quebecers want government to make this a very high priority compared to 15% with this view among Canadians as a whole.

    Enthusiasm for these preventive measures appears to rise with age. Thus, 65% of the oldest cohort (60 years+) believe that governments should make it a very high or high priority to introduce mandatory marriage preparation courses compared to 37% with this view among respondents under 30 years of age. In a similar vein, 49% of the oldest cohort believe that governments should make it a very high or high priority to place roadblocks in the way of divorces involving children compared to 21% with this view among people under the age of 30.

    Educational background emerges as a factor in opinions on some of these issues. Thus, the least educated, those with less than a high school education, are more likely than others to favour the government making it a high priority to implement mandatory marriage preparation courses (33% vs. 24% among Canadians as a whole).

Protect the Rights of Custodial Parents to Alimony

    Canadians believe that it should be a high priority of the government to make it more difficult for alimony payers to get away without carrying out their obligations. This portrait emerges from responses to the following battery item:

As we near the end of the interview, I'm going to read you a list of things governments can do to make it easier for families to stay together or, if the parents are divorced, make it easier for them to do a good job of parenting the children. Please tell me if each should become a very high priority, a high priority, a priority, somewhat of a priority, or no priority at all?
if the parents are divorced or separated, making it more difficult for the higher income earner to get away without paying alimony

    Almost three-quarters of Canadians (73%) agree that the government should make it at least a high priority (33%) if not a very high priority (40%) to make it more difficult for the higher income earner in a divorce to get away with not paying alimony.
This nation-wide consensus cuts across region, but enthusiasm for government action varies according to gender, age, and education:

• Women are slightly more likely than men to say that the government should make it a very high priority to make it more difficult for higher income earners to get away with not paying alimony - 44% vs. 37%
• Older Canadians, those in their 40's and 50's, are more likely than younger Canadians to feel that the government should make it a very high priority to make it more difficult for higher income earners to get away with not paying alimony - 46% and 51% among those in their 40's and 50's respectively, vs. 38% and 36% among those under 30 and in their 30's respectively
• The higher educated, those with some university/college and university grads, are slightly more likely than the less educated to think that the government should make it a very high priority to make it more difficult for higher income earners to get away with not paying alimony - 48% and 43% among those with some university/college and university grads respectively, vs. 36% and 32% among those with less than high school and high school grads respectively.