Among the most distressing news stories are those featuring mothers suspected, accused or convicted of killing their children or of standing by while their infants were fatally abused.
Florida woman Casey Anthony (pictured), charged with killing her two-year-old daughter Caylee, has been brought to the attention of the world by the media circus surrounding her trial.
In New Zealand, Macsyna King, the mother of twins who are believed to have died at their hands of their father (acquitted for lack of evidence) is being touted as the country's "most hated mother" as an inquest resumes and news of a book-length interview with Ms King sparks a 48,000 strong Facebook campaign against it's distribution.
Despite decades of feminism and gender role revision, we are still more shocked when mothers neglect, abuse and especially kill their children. But one does not have to look far into the lives of most of these women to find that the other side of the sexual revolution -- what's politely known as the "evolution" of the family -- has played a significant role.
Casey Anthony is a single mother, living with her own parents, the father of her child nowhere to be seen, although there have been rumours of incest. Macsyna King was cohabiting with her twins' father, Chris Kahui.
The stresses of single parenthood, with or without boyfriends, are well known. And the dangers of cohabitation for children are becoming clearer all the time. A recent US federal government study of child abuse and neglect shows the dramatically increased risks for children living in a home where there is an unrelated boyfriend -- and even with their own parents if they are cohabiting. Sociologist Brad Wilcox comments:
This new federal study indicates that these cases are simply the tip of the abuse iceberg in American life. According to the report, children living with their mother and her boyfriend are about 11 times more likely to be sexually, physically, or emotionally abused than children living with their married biological parents. Likewise, children living with their mother and her boyfriend are six times more likely to be physically, emotionally, or educationally neglected than children living with their married biological parents. In other words, one of the most dangerous places for a child in America to find himself in is a home that includes an unrelated male boyfriend - especially when that boyfriend is left to care for a child by himself.
But children living with their own father and mother do not fare much better if their parents are only cohabiting. The federal study of child abuse found that children living with their cohabiting parents are more than four times more likely to be sexually, physically, or emotionally abused than their peers living in a home headed by their married parents. And they are three times more likely to be physically, emotionally, or educationally neglected than children living with their married biological parents. In other words, a child is not much safer when she is living in a home with her parents if her parents' relationship does not enjoy the legal, social, and moral status and guidance that marriage confers on relationships.
But still experts such as New Zealand's new Children's Commissioner are afraid to mention the M-word:
Dr Wills sees his priorities in the job as "the priorities we all have - child poverty, parenting, family violence, child abuse, the educational tail, and teenage suicide, motor vehicle accidents and pregnancy".
He has done a good job with gearing health professionals to look for signs of and risks for child abuse -- in a country with high single parent and cohabiting and abuse rates -- but what a pity not to raise awareness of the more basic issue: the importance of mariage.