Father Absence And Its Consequences

The role of the father, a male figure in a child’s life is a very crucial role that has been diminishing over the years. An absent father can be defined in two ways; the father is physically not present, or the father is physically present, but emotionally present. To an adolescent, a father is an idolized figure, someone they look up to (Feud, 1921), thus when such a figure is an absent one, it can and will negatively affect a child’s development. Many of the problems we face in society today, such as crime and delinquency, poor academic achievement, divorce, drug use, early pregnancy and sexual activity can be attributed to fathers being absent during adolescent development (Popenoe, 1996; Whitehead, 1993). The percentage of

The lack of a father figure can cause a child to have cognitive, emotional, and social issues. A research was conducted in the UK on children that were raised in a fatherless family from birth. The research was conducted by questionnaires and interviews (MacCallum, Fiona and Susan Golombok. "Children Raised in Fatherless Families from Infancy: A Follow-Up of Children of Lesbian and Single Heterosexual Mothers at Early Adolescence." Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, vol. 45, no. 8, Nov. 2004, pp. 1407-1419.). The child’s social and emotional development was not negatively affected by the absence of a father. (MacCallum and Golombok 1412). The results proved that children who grow up with just their mother perceive her to be more available and more dependable than their peers who grew up in a home

Family is the first contact an infant experiences and the environment child is raised determines their behaviors and social development. Father figures just like mother figures are important in raising and socializing children in becoming responsible people as they grow. Numerous researches to determine importance of fathers in early child development have been carried out and majority of them found out that just like mothers, the role fathers play in early childhood development including mental, psychological and physical development are crucial. The studies show that, children raised by single mothers are likely to have problems such as drug abuse, engagement in early sexual behaviors and other unsocial behaviors as compared to those raised by both parents. The paper will explore the role of fathers in child rearing, discussing strategies in raising children and exploring pros and cons of such strategies.

Many of my friends in high school came from single parent fatherless homes like mine. A lot of us, especially my female friends, were looking for a filler of the void our father’s left in us. I found mine at the age of fifteen in a twenty year old named Jay. My mother never spoke to me about the dangers of unprotected sex. Most of what I learned about sex was taught through cable television and my friends. This was a dangerous way to learn about something as important as sex. There have been several studies that have indicated that living with only one parent, especially fatherless homes, is an indicator of early sexual behavior in adolescent African American females (Hogan and Kitagawa, 1985). From a daughter’s point

For various reasons, many children in the United States are living without their fathers in their homes or absent from their lives entirely. This is an issue all across the world and the children are having to deal with the disadvantages caused by the lack of support from their fathers. This issue has a significant effect on society and can be viewed and interpreted from the three sociological perspectives. As a result of many studies, it was found that children raised in father absent homes almost universally experience disadvantages such as: worse health, poorer academic achievement, and a less enjoyable educational experience. There are many variables that need to be taken into effect when considering

The stress associated with the inability to bond in satisfactory ways with a father or father figure may constitute the same kind of stress that a physically absent father does, resulting in earlier onset of sexual activity and the risk of ensuing pregnancy. Assessment of the quality of a paternal-child relationship may be as important as whether or not such a relationship exists.”(p.

The video/ article was called "Breaking The Cycle of Absentee Father". The video is about a nonprofit organization for African American males so that they can be better father figures for their children. The man who started this is named Sheldon Smith. He created this organization because he wants to bring up the low percentage of father figures in Chicago. This organization works by having meetings and helping these men become better fathers through talking about problems and how they can fix them

“Breaking the cycle of [absent] fathers” is about a man named Sheldon Smith from Chicago that started a program for fathers, and it gives them the skills to be “positive role models and responsible parents.” This article was from CNN News and was published on April 27, 2016.

. The quintessential Father figure of the early 20th century was characterized by being the main breadwinner and disciplinarian of the family. Although he viewed himself as a role model, he had very little involvement in the nurturing and caregiving of his children. However, as soon as this idea about the role of the father became the norm, it was already undergoing an immense amount of change. With the growing acceptance of feminist ideals, gender roles have become more neutral, and economic trends have brought higher levels of financial equality to woman over the years. Subsequently, contemporary parenting has begun to redefine the

According to the National Institute of Health, in the U.S., girls who did not have a father for the majority of their childhood became more prone to early sexual activity. “In Year 12 [of not having a father] (age 16), girls were asked whether they had ever had sexual intercourse. Girls who responded “no” were coded as 0 for early sexual activity (60%); girls who responded “yes” were coded as 1 for early sexual activity (40%)” (http://gaymarriage.procon.org/sourcefiles/father-absence-special-risk.pdf ). Having a child while still in school also leads to much higher stress and, typically, the mother dropping out of

These days it seems that teenagers are experiencing sexual intercourse earlier in life than those of previous generations. There are many physical, emotional, and behavioral consequences that can plague early starters, such as teenage pregnancy, STD’s, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, truancy, etc. These consequences affect not only their teenage years, but they can follow early starters into early adult years. This study goes beyond the early adult years, to see if any reproductive health consequences extend as far as middle adulthood.

“I hate you” are three words that I am sure all fathers have heard before. Whether said by an unruly eight-year-old, or a defiant eighteen-year-old, those words were sure to come out at one point or another. Even though these words were said, it does not necessarily mean that they were meant. At the time, they were probably used as a stinging response in an argument over something as silly as a bedtime or curfew. In hindsight, maybe those three words were not the best option, but it probably felt good to get the last jab in. Although this occurrence happens in almost every family, in almost every household in the world, it does not mean that all children leave childhood with unresolved father issues.

“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection.” --Sigmund Freud, Standard Edition, 1956

Hello and Welcome! Here is where you will read all the things that will inevitably be going through my head. If you would like to read about my non-existent father, how I flunked out of college, my struggles with depression, and many many more; then feel free to stick around! Who knows, maybe i'll connect with someone who's went through the same

Corcoran, Franklin and Bennett (2000) confirm, “being part of a single-parent household seems to act as a risk factor for early pregnancy.” Among singe-parent households, “conflict within the family, stress, and less monitoring and control of children” occurs, which the authors say can increase the risk of teen pregnancy. In addition, “teenagers experiencing family problems might be more at risk for influence by a negative peer group” that could potentially lead to motherhood at an early age. They also claim “support is indicated for parental control over teen activities as a protective factor against teenage pregnancy” that a lot of times isn’t found in single-parent homes.