Prevalence and factors of domestic violence among unmarried mothers with a young child

Using the first 3 waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this article examines the prevalence and factors of domestic violence among unmarried mothers with a young child. The findings indicate that the prevalence of domestic violence for mothers increased substantially in the first 3 years after the child's birth. Findings from regression analyses show that mothers who lived with the father, either as a wife or cohabiting partner, had significantly lower odds of domestic violence in the study measures than mothers who did not live with the father. However, the odds of domestic violence were not significantly different between married and cohabiting mothers. Policy implications are discussed.