Home alone and other inadequately supervised children.

This study examined the relationship between a mother's motivation, capacities, and opportunities, and how much supervision her children received. Ninety-five mothers who adequately supervised their children were compared with a demographically comparable sample of 37 mothers who did not. Mothers who provided inadequate supervision were less motivated, had fewer problem-solving and social skills, and were more likely to move, be homeless, and have inadequate housing. No differences were found between the groups on perceived social support. Families with supervision problems tended to have an adult or child in the family with one or more problems. A discriminant analysis showed that less education and poorer problem-solving skills made the largest contribution to the function.