Lack of time and money are more common in single parent families, as are lack of social support and family conflict, including separation, divorce and parental absence.

The change of social surroundings mixed with the absence of parental supervision produces a potentially overwhelming experience that can cause students to falter academically.

The recent riots across Britain, whose origins many believe lie in an absence of either parental guidance or filial respect, seem to underline a profound difference between East and West.