Fatherless Child Psychology

Demographically, over 90% of the participants strongly agreed that fatherhood is crucial in our society. A little over 47% of fathers, that encouragement from the mothers of their children matters because of the obstacles they faced with finance, and their duties on the job. The final results of marital status statistics is over 80% married fathers, nine percent divorced, and six percent never married. One surprising statistic was 90% cohabitate with the mother and focal child (Glenn & Popenoe, 2006).

The article “The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad” focuses a lot on the basic impact of how much of an influence a dad is to a child’s life. It explains the difference between how the father impacts the child’s life in a more “open arms” way whereas, a mother has a more “closed arms” impact. Having a good dad around in a child’s life is more likely to make for a better future for the kid, compared to a child who doesn’t have a good dad in their life or little to no dad at all they have a less likely chance for a better future as studies have shown. Studies have shown that mental health is a huge issue with both genders when they have a strong relationship with their father as to being in a household with a

Fatherless homes in the black community is at 57.6% (NCF, 2017). One of many issues of a fatherless home is children have less structure and lack of discipline; i.e. Chicago. The children suffer the most. I believe children need both parents in the household to be complete (“not all”). I believe if women have father’s in their lives (a positive male figure at minimum) it could help their decision in choosing the right mate will help this issue.

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

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.

Lowe Jr., W. (2000). Detriangulation of Absent Fathers in Single-Parent Black Families: Techniques of Imagery. American Journal of Family Therapy, 28(1), 29-40. doi:10.1080/019261800261798

The stereotype that African American fathers are not there for their children is a common misconception throughout America. The idea of absent African American fathers is fleeting because more people are beginning to shine light on the statistics of the real number of absent African American fathers. In fact, African American fathers are just as present as white fathers regardless of the relationship with the mother. The latest data finds that the stereotypical gender imbalance in this area doesn’t hold true, and dads are just as hands on when it comes to raising their children. For children between the ages of 5-18, 67% of fathers talk with their children about their day daily. This manner of conversation is the foundation of a healthy relationship.

Parents play an important part in the advancement of children. When a parent is incapacitated, it disrupts the bonding and attachment stage of development. This interruption could lead the adolescent children to develop challenges later in life. In African American families, fathers play an important role in the development of their children. Conferring to Threfal, Seay, and Kohl (2013), as cited in (Black and Dubowits 1999, Coley 2001, Jackson, Jeong-Kyum, and Franke 2009), when African American men are involved in their child's/children life, their children experience gains in development, academic achievement and decreased behavioral problems. However, when the father is incapacitated, children may experience an increase in behavioral problems, low cognitive functioning, and low achievement in

A father’s role in a child’s life is extremely important when it comes to a child’s development. With so much emphasis placed on young black boys needing their fathers during crucial developmental ages, the rate of our young black girls growing up without fathers is staggering and overlooked. What is an absent father? The definition is quite simple; an absent father can be defined as a father who is not present in the life of their child whether it is physically, emotionally, or both. Although the absence of a father is detrimental in any child’s life, the absence of such in a young black girl’s life is even more crucial. The absent father in a black girl’s life leads to, in some cases, promiscuity and teenage pregnancy, poverty, and

Black fathers in the United States are more prone to becoming more absent from their children's lives. A key factor to the absence of these fathers is because of mass incarceration due to police brutality, drugs, felonies, and murders. Many of these black men commit the crimes knowingly, therefore knowing that it could lead them to jail or prison. These men are deliberately committing the crimes that have become part of their lifestyle because they are determined to live a life of wealth and luxury. Even though there are opportunities for these men to work legally to earn their money they still chose to do it the illegal way. Guns and drug charges are the two main factors in causing these men to be absent from their children's lives. The lives

1). This study used semi-formal interviews to collect research (Ransaw, pg. 7). The data was based on African American fathers (or step-fathers), between the ages of 18-52, living in an urban community in the Southwest U.S. Two of the fathers were Sunni Muslims, two were Nation of Islam Muslims, one was Catholic, three of the fathers were Methodist, and one was Baptist. The researchers took into account that the sample group may have been biased because religious men turned fathers are more likely to be involved in their children’s lives (Ransaw, pg. 18). Two were single fathers and one was also a grandfather. The majority of the fathers earned between $25,000 and $50,000 per year (Ransaw, pg. 8). They were rated on the Fathering Involvement Scale which is comprised of three components: first, the direct interaction with the child pertaining to caretaking and play. The second part is the ability to be physically and psychologically available for the child’s everyday needs, and the third factor involves being responsible for the child’s welfare and well-being (Pleck & Pleck,

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

My father left when I was really young and I lived most of my life without him. To read an article about how a father can have a greater impact on a child and their psychological behavior fascinated me. Not having a father, I tend to live a decent life and I may have some issues. However, I live normal. Dads tend to have “unique” relationships with their kids and that could potentially be the reason for some children to experience psychological trouble. Dads can be strict and much scarier than their mother. Nevertheless, I do not live with a dad and I would not know. Overall, I chose this topic because I was able to connect it to myself and how different it is to my

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

By having a father in the home it enables the child to see a masculine role inside the home. The father’s role is not to act as an authoritarian for the mother for punishment, but to also give the child love.