The threat to the family unit is growing at an alarming rate

and this has led to a growth in the ensuing problems that stem from broken homes such as abuse of all forms, violence and juvenile delinquency.
Therefore, the importance of having stable families cannot be over emphasised. Stable families make stable societies. It is as simple as that. Unfortunately, having stable families is a real challenge in today’s world as divorce rates in both the developed and developing world are rapidly increasing, while increasingly people are opting not to marry but simply to live loosely together – what we describe in Guyana as “living home.”
This form of cohabitating has not a firm bond and commitment and as soon as the partners feel disgusted or cannot get along, they simply move on. But it is the children who get hurt most with such a lifestyle and from broken homes.
United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-moon, in his message on the International Day of the Family which was observed on Wednesday,  stressed the importance of family, declaring that “Families hold societies together”.
He also called for policies and programmes that promote inter-generational solidarity, and which support families in meeting contemporary economic and social challenges. Such initiatives would not only benefit communities, he says, but also address global development priorities as they could “Counteract inequality and exclusion, encourage active citizenship and even improve public infrastructure through community-based projects.
“Families hold societies together, and inter-generational relationships extend this legacy over time,” the U.N. Secretary-General said.
Patrick F. Fagan (Ph.D), a William H. G. FitzGerald Senior Fellow in Family and Cultural Issues at The Heritage Foundation, touching on the effect of broken homes on children, points out that whether or not a child’s parents are married and stay married has a massive effect on his or her future prosperity and that of the next generation.
Unfortunately, the growth in the number of children born into broken families in America–from 12 for every 100 born in 1950 to 58 for every 100 born in 1992 –has become a seemingly unbreakable cycle that the federal government not only continues to ignore, but even promotes through some of its policies.
He adds that numerous academic and social science researchers have demonstrated how the path to achieving a decent and stable income is still the traditional one: complete school, get a job, get married, then have children, in that order.
Obviously, the journey toward a secure income can be derailed by choices growing children make, such as dropping out of school or becoming pregnant before marriage. But generally, children who grow up in a stable, two-parent family have the best prospects for achieving income security as adults. Marital and family stability are undeniably linked to economic prosperity.
Even though America has achieved a level of prosperity unrivalled in history, too many families still do not share in these benefits. The effects of marital breakdown on national prosperity and the well-being of individual children are like the action of termites on the beams in a home’s foundation: They are weakening, quietly but seriously, the structural underpinnings of society.
Fagan concluded that the contradiction between Washington’s concern for economic prosperity and its disregard for stable marriage and family life must be resolved. The longer reform is delayed, the more children will be doomed to living in poverty with its life-changing effects. Politicians, state legislators, community leaders, and church officials can and must take clear steps to restore the primacy of marriage  — the backbone of the family and society in America.
Today, unfortunately, this is not only a problem of America. On the contrary, it is rapidly becoming a global phenomenon even in cultures where marriage is considered a sacred institution.
The societal impact of the disintegrating family and its related problems are being increasingly felt and therefore it has to be addressed with the appropriate degree of urgency from a global level. If this is not done then this problem could become a monster which could threaten the existence of societies.