Every day, as many as 77 percent of American youth are labeled by special definition: Latchkey Kids. Latchkey kids are children who carry a key in their pocket, bag, purse – anywhere on their personal being. The reason they carry this key, and derive the namesake, is because the abodes for which those keys are intended are empty when they arrive there. From the time they come home from school until such time as a parent gets home from work, they are unsupervised. Studies from the Census Bureau estimate that as many as ten million youth are left home alone, every afternoon – every day of the week. Due to several socioeconomic factors, the number of latchkey kids is substantial, and the already alarming numbers are rising.
Single parent families are fast becoming on of the largest factors in the increase of latchkey kids. Over 27 percent of children under the age of 18 will be raised in a single family home (“That’s a family!” ). A child who is being raised by one parent has substantially limited options for their development. Single fathers – once thought to be few and far between – are a steadily increasing representation in these scenarios. What was at one time considered impossible (a father single-handedly rearing his kids in a normal, healthy and balanced lifestyle) is becoming both socially and legally feasible. Single mothers, who have long been regarded the unsung heroes of the American family are still a commonplace. More and more kids are seeing one parent as both – that is, either Mom or Dad filling both roles. This has caused many experts in the childcare field to regard single parenting as less than healthy.
Another key factor that has contributed to the obligatory solitude of American youth is poverty. Statistics show that 17.6 percent of children under the age of 18 are living in poverty (Fact Sheet). This aspect, which will manifest itself in many ways, is the leading reason why so many kids are being left home alone. So often, parents are looked down upon for having children home by themselves before they return from work; yet the increasing cost of childcare is never considered. Among the 22 percent of working poor families headed by single mothers who paid for child care, 40 percent spent at least half of their cash income on child care, and another 25 percent spent 40 to 50 percent” (“That’s a family!”). As aforementioned, there is no lack of single parent homes in the United States. When given the option to either spend half their wages on childcare, versus having the kids stay home alone (often times with other friends or siblings), professional care becomes less and less of an option.
This decision is born out of necessity due to a single income in the household. Statistically, secondary education is not prevalent upon single parent families. With an overall increase in unemployment, coupled with the decline of higher paying vocations, the margin between the working poor and middle-to-upper class is ever expanding. The minimum wage rate is rising, as is the cost of living. However, average hourly and salaried wages hover within one to two percent increase, unchanged by rising costs of living. Several factors, including real estate costs, gasoline price inflation, electronic commerce, even internet file sharing all have played key roles in the financial mismatch of monies spent versus monies earned. Though on paper there is more density to the American economy than ever before, the heft of this weight is represented by a very small population. Simply put, the rich are getting richer and the poor are staying poor.
Here are some socioeconomic statistics for the Sacramento area: The county of Sacramento has a population of over 1.2 million people. Of this number, 14.1 percent of these individuals live below the poverty level. Nearly half of all the homes occupied are rentals, not purchases. Less than 25 percent of the local population has obtained a Bachelor’s degree or higher in secondary education. The median household income is less than $44,000 annually. All of these statistics, found through the US Census Bureau (Fact Sheet), reflect very similar averages of other counties nationwide. They also reflect a rising trend that is being experienced nationally: the American family is becoming financially preclusive due to basic laws of supply and demand; the demand for money is high, and supplies are difficult to come by.
Single parent families, poverty and American market inflation are some major factors contributing to the epidemic of unsupervised children in the United States. Youth crime rates are rising, incarceration statistics for teenagers are swelling and teen pregnancies are abundant (Tucker). Many experts suggest that this lack of supervision – whether by neglect or necessity – is the primary cause for these issues. Numerous studies in the field of child development have been conducted to determine the psychological effects on youth. Some have suggested is speeds the maturation process, resulting in a lost childhood; still others claim that teenagers cannot mature fast enough to be left to their own devices on a regular basis. Youth activity centers, funded in numerous ways – such as through city recreation departments or from private donors – are popping up seemingly everywhere, all with one goal in mind: to give kids something to do after school, to avoid being left alone. Whether right or wrong, the concerns of people – on both sides of the argument – need to be addressed. Though teenagers are often deemed as unimportant, disinterested or apathetic, one thing can be readily agreed on: tomorrow afternoon, ten million of them will go home after school – alone.
Works Cited
Tucker, Jill. “Latchkey teenagers more prone to crime.” Oakland Tribune 21 June, 2006.
26 Sep 2006.
That’s a family!: Statistics on US Families. Women’s Educational Media. 26 Sep 2006
Fact Sheet: Sacramento County, California. 2005. U.S. Census Bureau. 26 Sep 2006
Reference:
- Interested in Latchkey Kid statistics? Go to factfinder.cencus.gov for statistics of youth in your area.
