The Effects of Change in Family Structure and Income on Dropping Out of Middle and High School

Abstract

Using a longitudinal sample of eighth graders who lived with both biological parents in 1988, we estimate the increased risk of dropping out among students whose two-parent families experienced disruption over the subsequent 4 years. We differentiate the impact on school dropout of initial family income before family disruption from income change after the marriage ends. This approach helps to disentangle two interpretations of the relation between income and family structure. Our results suggest that both measures of income are significant contributors of the risk of dropping out for children whose families became mother-only families. When income loss is taken into account, along with initial income and other family, demographic, and prior school achievement factors, there is no evidence of increased risk of dropout among children who began to live with a single mother during the 1988-1992 period.

Familial and individual reasons for student dropout: Schools’ perception

“…Some authors claim that socio-economic status of a family represents a significant factor only when the family income is below the poverty line (Orthner, Cook, Rose & Randolph, 2002). Moreover, it is debatable whether low socio-economic status is enough, or whether student attrition takes place when it is combined with other aspects of family life, such as unstable structure and functionality of the family (Pong, & Ju, 2000).…”

Post-divorce Parental Conflict, Economic Hardship and Academic Achievement among Adolescents of Divorced Families

“…Financial problems following divorce may reduce parental warmth and support and disrupt the quality of parent-child relationships. These relationships disruptions contribute to adolescents' academic failures (Conger et al, 1992;McLanahan & Sandefur, 1994;Conger et al, 1997;Conger & Elder, 1994;Pong and Ju, 2000;Mistry et al, 2009;Yu & Patterson, 2010). Parents who are faced with economic hardship are not able to purchase educational resource to promote children's success in school (Sobolewski & Amato, 2005).…”

“…Parental emotional distress due to economic hardship predicts conflict between parents and reduces parental warmth, support and relationships with children which contribute to adolescents' academic failures (Conger et al, 1992;Conger & Elder, 1994;Conger et al, 1997;Pong and Ju, 2000;Mistry et al, 2009;Yu & Patterson, 2010). The economic hardship perspective proposed that economic hardship related to divorce is more accountable for the problems encountered by children from divorced families.…”

“…In addition, Conger et al (1997) found that the effects of economic conditions on adolescents' school performance were largely accounted for by the economic hardship and parents' responses to these problems. A study by Pong and Ju (2000) revealed that students who experienced family income changes and family economic hardship were more likely to drop out of school. Mistry, Benner, Tan, and Kim (2009) examined the relationships between adolescents' perceptions of the family economic stress, youth emotional distress and educational outcomes among Asian American adolescents.…”

A Comparison of Adjustment and Family Environment of Adolescents from Different Family Structures

“…Magnuson & L. Berger, 2009), 성 취동기(Y. Yeom, S. Choo & S. Lim, 2007), 고등학교 졸업률(S. Pong & D. Ju, 2000), 교육에 대한 열망(R. Garg, S. Melanson, & E. Levin, 2007) 등 학교적응의 다양한 측면에서 양친가족 청소년보다 낮은 적응수준을 보였다. 특히 일부 연구(E. Sterrett Oh, 2001).…”