GENDER WARS
1 in 3.7: The odds a married woman with one or more children under 6 is a stay-at-home mom.
1 in 125: The odds a married man with one or more children under 6 is a stay-at-home dad.
SOURCE: Book of Odds estimates based on US Census Bureau, America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2010, Current Population Survey.
Grandparents Rule
The odds an adult 50 or older is a grandparent are 1 in 3.5.
The odds an adult 75 or older is a grandparent are 1 in 2.9.
Grandparent Spending
The odds a grandparent will purchase a birthday gift for his or her grandchildren in a year are 1 in 1.03.
The odds a grandparent will purchase a holiday gift for his or her grandchildren in a year are 1 in 1.04.
The odds a grandparent will spend money to have fun with his or her grandchildren in a year are 1 in 1.1.
Grandparent Purchases
The odds a grandparent will purchase clothing for his or her grandchildren in a year are 1 in 1.2.
The odds a grandparent will purchase a book for his or her grandchildren in a year are 1 in 1.3.
The odds a grandparent will purchase fun food for his or her grandchildren in a year are 1 in 1.3.
The odds a grandparent will purchase a toy for his or her grandchildren in a year are 1 in 1.3.
The odds a grandparent will purchase a music CD or tape for his or her grandchildren in a year are 1 in 2.1.
The odds a grandparent will purchase a video or DVD for his or her grandchildren in a year are 1 in 2.2.
The odds a grandparent will purchase a video game for his or her grandchildren in a year are 1 in 3.2.
Grandparent Spending Reasons
The odds a grandparent spends money on his or her grandchildren because he or she enjoys it are 1 in 1.1.
The odds a grandparent spends money on his or her grandchildren to help with educational expenses are 1 in 1.9.
The odds a grandparent spends money on his or her grandchildren to help with living expenses are 1 in 2.2.
The odds a grandparent spends money on his or her grandchildren because requested to are 1 in 3.2.
The odds a grandparent spends money on his or her grandchildren to help with medical or dental expenses are 1 in 4.
Grandparent Activities with Grandchildren
The odds a grandparent had his or her grandchildren over for dinner in the past 6 months are 1 in 1.2.
The odds a grandparent went out to dinner with his or her grandchildren in the past 6 months are 1 in 1.2.
The odds a grandparent went shopping with his or her grandchildren in the past 6 months are 1 in 1.3.
The odds a grandparent read with his or her grandchildren in the past 6 months are 1 in 1.3.
The odds a grandparent cooked with his or her grandchildren in the past 6 months are 1 in 1.5.
The odds a grandparent went to a park or playground with his or her grandchildren in the past 6 months are 1 in 1.6.
The odds a grandparent attended a school event for his or her grandchildren in the past 6 months are 1 in 1.8.
The odds a grandparent exercised or played sports with his or her grandchildren in the past 6 months are 1 in 1.9.
The odds a grandparent rented a video to watch at home with his or her grandchildren in the past 6 months are 1 in 1.9.
The odds a grandparent went to a sports event with his or her grandchildren in the past 6 months are 1 in 2.
The odds a grandparent helped his or her grandchildren with schoolwork in the past 6 months are 1 in 2.4.
The odds a grandparent went to an amusement park with his or her grandchildren in the past 6 months are 1 in 2.9.
The odds a grandparent went to a movie with his or her grandchildren in the past 6 months are 1 in 3.1.
The odds a grandparent provides day care for his or her grandchildren are 1 in 6.7.
SOURCES: American Association of Retired Persons and Harris Interactive, AARP Survey on Lifelong Learning, July 19, 2000, http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/general/lifelong.pdf. C Davies, D Williams, The Grandparent Study 2002 Report, American Association of Retired Persons, May 2002, http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/general/gp_2002.pdf.
ODDS COUPLE
Putting Your Money
Where Your Mouth Is
The odds a grandparent will purchase jewelry for his or her grandchildren in a year: 1 in 2.7
The odds a grandparent believes spoiling grandchildren is the role of a grandparent: 1 in 2.7
SOURCE: C Davies, D Williams, The Grandparent Study 2002 Report, American Association of Retired Persons, May 2002, http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/general/gp_2002.pdf.
“Dinner’s at Six!”
The odds a child younger than 6 will eat a meal with all the family members in a household:
1–3 days a week 1 in 6.9
4–6 days a week 1 in 4.1
Every day 1 in 1.7
SOURCE: US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, The National Survey of Children’s Health 2007, Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, 2009.
The odds that every day, for a child younger than 6, a family member will:
Tell stories or sing to the child: 1 in 1.7
Read to the child: 1 in 2.1
Take the child on an outing: 1 in 7.2
SOURCE: US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, The National Survey of Children’s Health 2007, Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, 2009.
Homeless Families
A growing number of American families are without homes. In 2009, slightly more than 170,000 families were given emergency shelter, a 30% increase in two years. The odds a homeless person is part of a homeless family were 1 in 1.6 in that year.
While a homeless individual seeking shelter is most often a middle-aged adult male, adults seeking emergency housing as part of a family group are overwhelmingly female. The majority are mothers under the age of 31. More than half the children they bring with them are under the age of 6.
Homeless families are more likely than individuals to be offered shelter if they come to the attention of authorities or service agencies, but the odds are still estimated to be 1 in 4.7 that a homeless family will have no place to sleep on a given night. Families that do end up in emergency shelters tend to be there longer than individuals (the 2009 median stay was 36 days for persons in families compared to 17 days for individuals).
SOURCE: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development, The 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, June 2010.
Children and Poverty
The odds a child lives in a household with an income less than the poverty level are 1 in 4.7.
The odds a child lives in a household with an income one to two times the poverty level are 1 in 4.7.
The odds a child lives in a household with an income more than two times the poverty level are 1 in 1.7.
The odds a child lives in a household that receives public assistance (excluding food support) are 1 in 24.
The odds a child lives in a household that receives food stamps are 1 in 5.4.
The predicted odds a child will receive food stamps in his or her household for at least one year by age 20 are 1 in 2.
The predicted odds a white child will receive food stamps in his or her household for at least one year by age 20 are 1 in 2.7.
The predicted odds a black child will receive food stamps in his or her household for at least one year by age 20 are 1 in 1.1.
SOURCES: US Census Bureau, America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2010, Current Population Survey. MR Rank, TA Hirschl, “Estimating the Risk of Food Stamp Use and Impoverishment During Childhood,” Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 163(11), November 2009.
Rich Kids
&nb
sp; The odds a family with at least two children younger than 18 is in the top 5% income bracket: 1 in 17.7
SOURCE: US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2009.
For Some,
Childhood Is a Time of Neglect and Hurt
The odds the subject of a child maltreatment investigation will be determined to be a victim are 1 in 4.4.
The odds a child will be the subject of a maltreatment investigation in a year are 1 in 24.8.
The odds a child will be a victim of neglect in a year are 1 in 137.
The odds a child will be a victim of physical abuse in a year are 1 in 603.
The odds a child will be a victim of sexual abuse in a year are 1 in 1,129.
The odds a child will be a victim of psychological abuse in a year are 1 in 1,388.
The odds a child will be a victim of medical neglect in a year are 1 in 3,154.
The odds a victim of child maltreatment will be removed from home by a state child protection agency in a year are 1 in 4.8.
The odds a child will be removed from home by a state child protection agency due to maltreatment in a year are 1 in 496.
The odds a child will be removed from home by a state child protection agency due to neglect in a year are 1 in 700.
The odds a child will be removed from home by a state child protection agency due to physical abuse in a year are 1 in 5,455.
The odds a child will be removed from home by a state child protection agency due to sexual abuse in a year are 1 in 16,130.
Foster Care
The odds an infant is in foster care are 1 in 163.
The odds a child younger than 11 is in foster care are 1 in 161.
The odds a person younger than 21 is in foster care are 1 in 159.
The odds a person in foster care has been there for at least 12 months are 1 in 1.6.
The odds a person in foster care has been there for 3–4 years are 1 in 7.5.
The odds a person in foster care has been there for at least 5 years are 1 in 6.1.
The odds a person in foster care is younger than 6 are 1 in 3.5.
The odds a person in foster care is younger than 11 are 1 in 2.
The odds a person younger than 21 leaving foster care will exit by reuniting with a parent or primary caretaker are 1 in 1.8.
The odds a person younger than 21 leaving foster care will exit by being adopted are 1 in 5.6.
The odds a person younger than 21 leaving foster care will exit by moving in with relatives other than a parent or primary caretaker are 1 in 9.8.
The odds a person younger than 21 leaving foster care will exit by being emancipated are 1 in 13.9.
The odds a person younger than 21 leaving foster care will exit by establishing guardianship are 1 in 26.
The odds a person younger than 21 leaving foster care will exit by transferring to another agency are 1 in 40.
The odds a person younger than 21 leaving foster care will exit by running away are 1 in 57.6.
SOURCES: US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, Child Maltreatment 2005, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#can. US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, Child Maltreatment 2008, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#can. US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, Child Maltreatment 2009, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#can. Book of Odds estimate based on US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, AFCARS Report, Final Estimates for FY 1998 Through FY 2002, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs.
“Arrange Child Protective Services for Thursday”
The odds a child younger than 3 will be a victim of neglect in a year are 1 in 68.6.
These are the same odds that a man is 50 years old.
SOURCES: Book of Odds estimate based on US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, Child Maltreatment 2009, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#can. US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.php.
ODDS COUPLE
Hard Digs
The odds a sheltered homeless person is younger than 18: 1 in 4.5
The odds an inmate on death row is married: 1 in 4.5
SOURCES: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Community Planning and Development, The 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, June 2010. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Capital Punishment, 2008–Statistical Tables.
Autism: The Spreading Spectrum
Prior to 1943 there were no diagnoses of autism. It was in that year that psychiatrist D. Leo Kanner coined the term “early infantile autism,” based on his observation of fewer than a dozen young children. Asperger’s syndrome, a milder variant, was described at the same time. Since then, awareness of and research into autism have increased and tools for evaluating and measuring its prevalence have improved. What was one syndrome in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) is now a spectrum of five (DSM-IV-TR). This spectrum is called Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The measurement of how common autism is is tricky since its cause or causes are not known, but it is clear that there is a strong genetic component. There is overlap among identical twins, and one sibling having it raises the risk of another sibling having it significantly.
With increased attention the measured prevalence has increased:
In 2000, the reported odds of a child having ASD were 1 in 150.
In 2008, the reported odds of a child having ASD were 1 in 88.
This is a very large apparent change in a short time. Many people are trying to understand its cause. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which published these numbers, writes: “We know that some of the increase is probably due to the way children are identified and served in local communities, although exactly how much is due to these factors is unknown. To understand more, we need to keep accelerating our research.”
Here are some of the considerations:
• If a disease with so strong a genetic component were epidemic one would expect to find more cases in children than adults, but a British study found otherwise.
• New groups such as blacks and Hispanics are showing large increases, suggesting they were undertested in the past.
• There is some evidence that people who were formerly diagnosed as having “mental retardation” or “speech impairment” are being redefined as autistic, a phenomenon called “diagnostic substitution.” Some of this effect seems to be evident in the number of children receiving special education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); autism diagnoses have increased while those of mental retardation and learning disabilities have decreased.
SOURCES: National Institute of Mental Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-IV-TR, 4th rev. ed., Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000. National Institute of Mental Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, A Parent’s Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Hallmayer, S Cleveland, A Torres, et al., “Genetic Heritability and Shared Environmental Factors Among Twin Pairs with Autism,” Archives of General Psychiatry 68(11), 2011: 1095–1102. Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) Among Multiple Areas of the United States in 2008, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services, http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/documents/ADDM-2012-Community-Report.pdf.
Many Children Face Chall
enges Early in Life
The odds a child younger than 5 has “activity limitation” due to:
A speech problem: 1 in 63.3
Mental retardation: 1 in 154
A learning disability: 1 in 417
SOURCE: Health, United States, 2009: With Special Feature on Medical Technology, Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, 2010.
First Teeth, First Cavities
The odds a child 2–11 has baby teeth cavities are 1 in 2.4. Those odds jump to 1 in 1.8 for children in families living below the federal poverty level.
SOURCE: BA Dye, S Tan, V Smith, BG Lewis, LK Barker, G Thornton-Evans, et al., “Trends in Oral Health Status: United States, 1988–1994 and 1999–2004,” Vital and Health Statistics 11(248), 2007.
Identified Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Autism Spectrum Disorders, Data and Statistics,” http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html.
A Sad Toll
Of the approximately 700,000 maltreated children in the United States, 1,770 of them, or 1 in 396, died from it in 2009.
SOURCE: Book of Odds estimate based on US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, Child Maltreatment 2009, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#can.
ODDS COUPLE
Halfway to Kindergarten! Halfway to Mensa?
The odds a child 22–25 months old will possess counting skills: 1 in 25
The odds a person will meet the membership criteria for Mensa: 1 in 50
SOURCES: GM Mulligan, KD Flanagan, Age 2: Findings from the 2-Year-Old Follow-up of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS–B) (NCES 2006–043), Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2006. Mensa, http://www.mensa.org/.
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