About Deadbeat Parents

'Deadbeat' parent is a deeply rooted Americanized term that refers to a parent's choice to knowingly refuse to be involved in the support or contact of their child's life. Unfortunately, this term is widely used to describe this all too common occurrence. A phrase that came into popularity after the Bradley Amendment of 1986, deadbeat parents have since been on the increase due to the rising promiscuity and divorce rates in the United States.
Parents forced to support their children on their own often need at least the financial support of the other parent involved. Since 1986, the Federal Court has been able to overstep all state statutes and laws in order to enforce the financial support of children by their parents.

Types

Even though the term deadbeat can only refer to the gender-specific male or female parent, there are many types of deadbeat parents to speak of. Some deadbeat fathers for instance, are typically those who were never married and continue to constantly try to dodge the system to continue their bachelor lifestyle. Other types of deadbeat parents can be created through divorce when one parent still has resentment towards the other or the unfairness of the situation. There are those deadbeats still, which are unknowing of their situation until a court order for child support arrives through the mail.

Identification

Many public and private systems have been instituted to capture and contain deadbeat parents or place them on notice. These agencies usually operate under the lawful court ordered collection of either payment or detainment of a parent who refuses to pay child support or is unable to. Websites that resemble the Federal Bureau of Investigation's most wanted list, post pictures, names and sometimes addresses of deadbeat parents and ask for users to update sightings of these personnel. Using these aforementioned tools, along with the help of the U.S. Government, which allows these subjects to be found through public listings such as driver's licenses in each state, deadbeat parents can be found and made to fulfill their obligations.

Significance

Beyond the financial obligation that a deadbeat parent dodges, there's also the moral question of the effects on the household. Although there are millions of American dollars spent each year to look for, detain, and prosecute these deadbeats, the children are the real victims. Children who are parented in single households often have a difficult road ahead in life. These children are more likely to drop out of school and be less productive members of society. Low self-esteem can also be a result of deadbeat parents.

Misconceptions

Even though deadbeat parents are too common among our society, not all of them are so by choice. Defaulting parents, who have been ordered by law to pay child support often, find themselves in situations of disability or inability to pay through the loss of their jobs. Child support does not provide a system that is to scale with the current earnings of the parent who must pay. This is true despite bankruptcy, disability, and lower earnings, the 'deadbeat' in many of these cases being unable to pay the amount previously ordered by the court.

Effects

Although being a deadbeat parent is an unfortunate occurrence, a more refined system has been called for by many activist groups of today. Deadbeat parents who become so delinquent on payments can find that they are subject to have their license revoked (driver's, hunting, or any other type afforded by the state); money deducted from their pay, or even imprisonment for frequent non-payment. With practices such as these, many times the jailing of those who are delinquent leaves taxpayers footing the bill.

Resources

• Deadbeats
• Deadbeat parents