Donald Pridemore, Wisconsin Legislator, Says Single Parenting Leads To Abuse

A Wisconsin lawmaker is co-sponsoring a bill based on the idea that single parenthood causes child abuse.

The bill says a child being raised by a single mother could be considered living in an abusive situation and because of that, a woman should not jump into a divorce, but rather look at alternatives, state Rep. Donald Pridemore (R-Hartford) said in a television interview Friday.

Couples need to study their relationships first, he said. "If they can re-find those reasons and get back to why they got married in the first place, it might help," Pridemore said on local television show"Today's TMJ 4."

Pridemore, the chairman of the House Children and Families Committee, is sponsoring the child abuse bill with state Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend). It would mandate the state Child Abuse Prevention Board conduct public awareness campaigns emphasizing that single parenthood is a leading cause of child abuse. The Senate Public Health, Human Services and Revenue Committee held a public hearing on the bill Feb. 29, but has not voted, according to legislative records.

An aide in Pridemore's Madison office said he was not there Monday and was not available for comment. According to Pridemore's state website, he is a full-time legislator and former engineer.

Grothman told the Fox affiliate in Milwaukee over the weekend that he is pushing the bill because he believes that the traditional family is "in crisis." During the interview, Grothman referred to research he conducted, but did not cite specific sources.

"A child is 20 times more likely to be sexually abused if they are raised by say, a mother and a boyfriend, than their mother and father," Grothman said in an interview with Fox6Now.

The bill comes as state legislatures nationwide are tackling women's issues.

Virginia passed a law requiring women seeking an abortion to receive an ultrasound, similar to a bill pending before the Alabama Legislature.

Kansas lawmakers are currently debating a sweeping anti-abortion bill that would allow doctors to withhold medical information from patients to prevent abortions without facing a malpractice suit and charge a sales tax on abortion. In New Hampshire, the state House last week passed a bill to allow employers to stop providing insurance coverage for contraception.

A Democratic spokesman in Wisconsin declined immediate comment on the bill. Fox6Now reported that a Democratic legislator said they believed the bill could pass if heard in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Comments

[715W]

07:45 AM on 12/27/2012

Very interesting dialogue and comments.

The one thing that is completely absent is any discussion of the well-being of the affected children.

Every educated person knows that divorce is harmful for children.

Any good single mother (or single dad) knows that single parenthood isn't a condition to be celebrated -- it is a difficult situation that calls for an uncommon level of personal commitment.

Half of parents (women and men) are below average.

The level of personal commitment that QUALITY single parenting requires is beyond most people.

It is well beyond a below-average parent (mother or father).

Yet in divorce court is where you will find a large proportion of the below-average mothers. (The good mothers put their children first and avoid divorce court.) Let's not ignore that reality.

[Sammy Slimm]

07:16 PM on 07/07/2012

So the bill doesn't actually state that "a child being raised by a single mother could be considered living in an abusive situation" as the reporter claims.

[Leslie Wojahn]

04:01 PM on 04/18/2012

Well... so far I will be agreeing with him. Save this child from his abusive mother!

http://saveoursonfromhisabuser.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/save-this-3-year-old-from-his-abusive-mother-in-wisconsin/

[Megan Malice]

01:41 AM on 04/13/2012

well isnt this a stiff kick in the vagina? :/

[f2900]

06:30 PM on 03/25/2012

Oh, wow! Why didn't it occur to me, my ex-husband, or our therapists during our 6 years of marital counseling and constant efforts to make our marriage work that we should think about this??? If only I had lived in a state where the legislature was looking to micromanage my life! Any advice on what I should cook for dinner tonight?

[Sheerie Moustakas]

06:42 PM on 03/27/2012

Unbelievable! They want smaller gov't and less intrusion except when it serves their interest. Such hypocrites! As a single mother of a daughter, its disturbing that me working hard and providing the best life possible could be considered abuse just on the basis that I'm going it alone. Furthermore, last I checked, if I was considered abusive to my daughter on this basis, then this would probably lead to my child being put into foster care which is 1000 times worse for a child then this situation could ever be! SMH

[Rosebud7607]

05:53 PM on 03/25/2012

These jerks don't even pretend to care anymore.

[sushi27]

06:06 PM on 03/24/2012

Are they recalling this guy?????

[xhesika]

03:10 PM on 03/23/2012

Wow that is absolutely ridiculous. Especially when often family steps in to help. I have one of the worst baby father ive heard of. I cant be around my husband again. Hes lied cheated and stiled from me in the 3 months of my pregnancy. He only married me to try to get a citizenship. And he has talked innapropriately about my daughter. The last time he was kicked out it was after he grabbed me too hard. Fighting with me in front of my daughter, that is unacceptable! Soon to be exhusband with no morals. So the idiots who wanna pass this bill is assuming that all fathers have the same morals, when some fathers have none. This legislator is even dumber than I was!

[Mandi 007]

04:06 PM on 03/14/2012

You know what can be construed as abusive? Having two parents stay together despite the fact they either hate each other and fight constantly, have one with a substance abuse problem, have one that is physically or verbally abusive, I could go on and on......

Oh, but wait - abuse NEVER occurs to children when they have two married parents, isn't that right? Gee, kids - if one of your parents ever unfortunately passes away, your single parents just might be abusing you! I can't even believe the absolute nonsense and craziness that is coming to the surface these days.

[Diana Black Bandelow]

03:30 PM on 03/14/2012

Does the GOP WANT to lose in November? How out of touch can one group of old, white men be??

[Hob-Goblin]

11:26 PM on 03/14/2012

F&F, so true

[iAnonymous]

12:25 PM on 03/14/2012

"The bill says a child being raised by a single mother could be considered living in an abusive situation and because of that, a woman should not jump into a divorce, but rather look at alternatives." This makes me so frikkin' mad. OBVIOUSLY it's the woman's responsibility to keep the marriage together, even if he's beating the snot out of her. Because she ASKED FOR IT.

I hate these guys a lot right now.

[iAnonymous]

12:23 PM on 03/14/2012

I wrote to Sen. Grothman about this issue, basically outlining why this is bad policy. I got an automated email back that cited Dr. Phil. I think the GOP needs to step away from the anti education Kool-Aide, because they're getting pretty stupid.

[VanTroi]

12:06 PM on 03/14/2012

What about parents that aren't married? Should they be forced to get married? Or should an abused woman stay with her abuser? The majority of single mothers I know had the father walk out on them many dont even see their kids or pay child support. What about a law that says abandoning your child is abuse? Blaming the custodial parent isn't fair.

[Hob-Goblin]

11:30 PM on 03/14/2012

"What about a law that says abandoning your child is abuse? Blaming the custodial parent isn't fair."
That would be applying logic to a simple-minded, knee-jerk reaction.
Also, you're a woman, they would never listen to an idea from you. /sarcasm

[xhesika]

03:11 PM on 03/23/2012

Yep. That's my story.

[JessAKomA]

09:07 AM on 03/14/2012

Sigh. Pridemore's efforts are not going to make people get or stay married. He's stirred people up, but is ultimately wasting your time on this. If you want to prevent child abuse, do that, educate people on child abuse realities and trends and prevention. If you want people to stay married, promote marriage, don't punish single mothers/single fathers.

[Angrykitteh]

07:18 AM on 03/14/2012

"that would allow doctors to withhold medical information from patients"

This is the most disturbing. Doctors should NOT be allowed to withhold information from a patient for ANY reason. How can that be legal? And then not be held accountable for withholding said information in the event of death?

What a can of worms that will open. What else will doctors NOT be held accountable for?