(posted Tuesday, Dec. 8, 1998)
The boyfriends of single mothers are responsible for a huge amount of child abuse, argues the cover story. The media tend to blame fathers and stepfathers for abuse, even though boyfriends are 27 times more likely to abuse children than parents are, according to one study. The remedy: We should "restigmatize" cohabitation. A mother living with a boyfriend should be seen as unfit.
--David Plotz