->    One in nine of the 324,000 children age 6 to 11 raised by
-> single mothers had repeated a grade in school.  The paper notes that
-> the national average for repeating a grade among this age
-> group is one in 16.
SK>I quoted this piece primarily because I thought it was an interesting
SK>example of statistics use (or misuse), and since the topic of valid
SK>research methods has been much discussed here recently..
SK>Note that from the observation that 1 in 6 children raised by single
SK>mothers displays some type of conduct disorder, and other similiar
SK>observations of the same type, the conclusion is somehow drawn or
SK>implied that single mothers are doing a bad job of raising children.
SK>All that can be reasonably noted from this data is that there is a high
SK>correlation. Exactly why it is that children raised by single mothers
SK>tend to have more frequent problems of these types would bear further
SK>study and investigation. One cannot simply assume from the data supplied
SK>that the mothers are doing a poor job raising their children.
Absolutely correct... Not mentioned, for example, is the
likely correlation between single mothers and poverty, 
familial illiteracy, urban living (probably in crime-
ridden areas), etc, etc.....
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