All Parents Worry About Their Children but for Different Reasons

It turns out that demographics play a role in the types of worries parents have about their children, according to a recent Pew Research Center report.

For instance, according to the report:

1. Low-income parents are more concerned than higher-income parents about teen pregnancy (50% to 43%) and their children getting into trouble with the law (a 2:1 margin). 
2. Black parents are more likely than white parents to worry about their children being shot (39% vs. 22%).
3. White parents are more likely than black parents to worry that their children might struggle with anxiety or depression (58% vs. 35%) or have problems with drugs or alcohol (40% vs. 23%).
4. Hispanic parents worry more than black or white parents about all eight measures included in the survey, from being bullied to having problems with drugs or alcohol.

According to the study, some worries are shared by all groups regardless of income. “At least half of all parents, regardless of income, worry that their children might be bullied or struggle with anxiety or depression at some point. For parents with annual family incomes of $75,000 or higher, these concerns trump all others tested in the survey.”

The study is based on a survey of 1,807 American parents with children younger than age 18 conducted on September 15 to October 13, 2015.