Absent Fathers Influence On Children

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The disengagement of parents in our society today and notably absent fathers is negatively impacting the lives of boys. Statistics reveal that about one-half of children living in the United States today will experience father absence from the home before the age of eighteen (Markowitz and Ryan, 2016). What is more disturbing is from this percentage, well over half are single mothers with children under the age of three who are working. The collapse of the family is a result of missing or uninvolved fathers and mothers who are too busy, which creates an unhealthy environment for raising children. While all children have an inborn need for contact with their fathers, it is boys who suffer the most from absent or uninvolved fathers.
Fathers share a significant part in a son’s masculine development. Boys look up to their fathers and will model every detail of their behavior and values. It is important for fathers to keep in mind that everything they do is observed. They should be aware of their actions and teachings because they will set the path for how their sons will develop. The modeling provided by fathers develop the masculine identities of boys.
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Dr. Dobson points out that when a father is uninvolved, does not love or care for his children it creates an ache a longing that will remain for years (Dobson, 2001). There are two critical periods in a boy’s life when he is vulnerable. One is early in life around the age of three to five years when boys pull away from his mother and toward his father to form his masculine identity. The other period is at the beginning of puberty, an emotional and hormonal time when the father guidance and love are needed (Dobson, 2001). Boys without fatherly direction may find themselves struggling in such areas as low self-esteem, emotional pain, negative behaviors, difficulty bonding and emotional

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