Single-Mother Households

In South Africa, nearly half of all children live in single-mother households. From my personal experience, I say it's a disaster. I see a parallel with traditional African practice. Before the arrival of Western culture, according to The Sunburnt Queen, 

"Sex was freely discussed before children and understood from an early age ... [Children] were allowed to explore their sexuality with the knowledge and support of their elders. Pre-marital heavy-petting was permitted, although penetration was not, and this 'sweet-hearting' (ukumetsha) as it was known, was common for boys and girls from as young as eight or nine ... They were strictly monitored by their elders. ... Pre-marital pregnancy was not common."

What we see so often today is the removal of the elders. In my view, the safeguards have been taken off, while the historical practice of ukumetsha continues. With the elders removed from the picture, we are left with the disaster of single-mother households. OBSERVATION: It will not be entirely as simple as this, but I see this as a major influence.