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A major problem in our society today is the absence of fathers in the home and in the lives of their children. I believe that growing up in a two parent household gives a child the best chance to be successful. My theory is that the absence of a father greatly affects the outcome of the child’s life and limits their opportunity for success. For the sake of this argument success will be measured by education level, mental state and crime. I will explore what effects, if any, the absence of a father has on these factors of success. From my research, in a household without a father present things are more likely to go wrong in the child’s life giving a high chance that this child will grow up to have some of the following problems. The child …show more content…
Another possible outcome of growing up without a father is the increased chances of a life of crime for the child. For example, these fatherless children are more likely to become murderers, and have higher rates of juvenile crime than children from two-parent homes (Williams, 2014). Another effect I see of the absence of a father is in the level of education. The child is more likely to have bad grades, lower test scores, and perhaps lower IQ levels. Most concerning is that the child is much more likely to become a drop out and become trouble for the community (Gabel, 2004). The research supports the theory of a father’s absence having negative effects on the child’s life. Nearly one third of …show more content…
The negative rates are just too high to ignore. Everyday problems occur mostly because of this lack of fathers, and a lot of people are getting killed, raped, and dropping out of school. To many people, looking in, this may seem like a small issue but in the eyes of the child it is truly a game changer. This ends up contributing to if the child makes something of their life or is more likely to fall in the negative statistical groups listed earlier. Depression is more than likely. I myself go through this at times so I can honestly say its true for me and I believe 100 % of this. Society should take an interest in children who grow up without a father because who knows if that kid next door or in your community could become trouble for the area that you lay your head at and making it unsafe for you and your family. You can see how this can become a bigger problem for society as a whole if we do not pay attention to others. Just because it is not happening in your house or your family it does not mean it will never affect you. That being said, we as a society are doing a better job of responding to this problem. Programs like Boys and Girls Club, My Brother’s Keeper and Big Brothers Big Sisters look to fill this gap in our society specifically among fatherless boys (Joiner, 2016). From my experience, these programs/people build relationships and care about what is going on in the child’s
Fatherless has been one of the most important challenges and epidemics in our generation. The effects of growing up...
A child needs both of their parents’ love and affection while growing up. A child that grows up with both has a higher chance of being a more stable person. However, not all children have this luxury; some children are born into dysfunctional families that consist of only one parent like the children in the Wingfield family. “A study of 1,977 children age 3 and older living with a residential father or father figure found that children living with married biological parents had significantly fewer externalizing behavioral problems than children living with at least one non-biological parent” (Consequences of Fatherlessness). The absent parent in the Wingfield family affected everyone in the family, not only the children. The absent father,
"Father absence and the welfare of children." Coping with divorce, single parenting, and remarriage: A risk and resiliency perspective (1999): 117-145.
Sigmund Freud nailed it when he said “I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” There are numerous Consequences regarding the issue of fatherlessness in America today, many of which have lasting impacts. Poverty is one major issue that can result from a fatherless home; a recent study showed that children in father-absent homes are almost four times more likely to be poor. In addition as of 2011, 12 percent of children in married-couple families were living in poverty, compared to 44 percent of children in mother-only families. That means that children
Throughout history a one-parent household has been deemed as a nontraditional family, but in today’s society it seems more and more common with every day. Although the reason and causes vary, each year the number of children raised by a single parent increases. Most people don’t seem to realize how much this can change a child’s future. The impact of childhood experiences simply set the disposition of adulthood and the rest of their lives. There is not one sole factor that affects child development, but one very important one is the role and relationship created with one’s parents. How a child is parented and raised leaves a lasting impression on them, commonly for a lifetime. You can see how this might alter a child, being that one parent is missing. Child development based off of living in a one-parent household is very circumstantial because each child and each parent are different individuals. But one thing is for sure; all areas of child development can be affected due to a missing parent, including social, cognitive emotional, and physical areas. I sat down with Dr. Carlos Antoline, a children’s school psychologist to see what the real impact of growing up in a one-parent household has on child development.
Dr. Haim Ginott, a renowned Psychologist, mentor and a teacher once remarked, “Children are like wet cement; whatever falls on them makes an impression.” Thus, the effects of absent fathers on children may in fact, shape their perception of the world around them. Even though developing a stronger relationship with one parent is an effect of absenteeism fathers, it also comes with the challenges of engaging in early sexual activities, diminished cognitive development and poor school performance, which are effects exhibited by many daughters.
This normalcy can be negative or positive and is normally hindered by the presence of supportive and engaging parents first and foremost. Children learn from their surroundings because it is what they grow accustomed to. Children do not know anything else other than what they were taught and trained to know as being normal in their lives and this is where they gain their worldview of what to perceive. That is why it is important to have a father present in the household because it vital to a child’s development. Studies show that if a child 's father is affectionate, supportive, and involved, he can contribute greatly to the child 's cognitive, language, and social development, as well as academic achievement, a strong inner core resource, sense of well-being, good self-esteem, and authenticity (Gross 2014). Therefore, having a father in the home is beneficial to the child’s development and wellbeing. However, there are some fathers who are in the child’s life, but really they are not present for the child. An absent father can mean different things like being physically there, but not actually being involved in the care of the child. It can also mean that the father is not being present for the child when they know that they are the child’s father. It can also be the result a father’s death,
The Family structure has changed significantly in the last fifty years. With higher percentages of marriage ending in divorce, and higher rates of childbearing out of wedlock, single parent families are increasing rapidly. “Seventy percent of all the children will spend all or part of their lives in a single-parent household.” (Dowd) Studies have shown that the children of these families are affected dramatically, both negatively and positively. Women head the majority of single- parent families and as a result, children experience many social problems from growing up without a father. Some of these problems include lack of financial support, and various emotional problems by not having a father around, which may contribute to problems later in life. At the same time, children of single-parent homes become more independent because they learn to take care of themselves, and rely on others to do things for them.
Growing up in a single parent household can have positive and negative impacts. Some effects of growing up in a single parent house are behavior issues, financial issues,
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 adolescents growing up fatherless has risen from 17% to 36% in just three decades between 1960 and 1990 (Popenoe, 1996). Dr. Popenoe estimates this number will increase to approximately 50% by the turn of the century (Popenoe, 1996). The US Census Bureau reported out of population of 24 million children, 1 out 3 live in a home without a father (US Census Bureau, 2009).
When someone thinks about the definition of a father, he or she thinks about the support, care, love, and knowledge a father gives to his offspring. Most people automatically believe that biological fathers, along with the mothers, raise their children. However, that is not always the case. There are many children across the world who are raised without their father. These children lack a father figure. People do not realize how detrimental the lack of a father figure can be to the child, both mentally and emotionally. Enrolling boys between the ages of 5 to 16 without father figures in programs, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, that involve building a relationship with someone who can serve as a role model is essential to prevent males from depression, difficulty in expressing emotions, and other consequences of having an absent father figure.
The role of a father in his child’s life extends past the knowledge of far too many, and can oftentimes be eclipsed by the role of the mother. Although the mother’s role is essential and greatly valued in a child’s life and development, the father plays a significant role as well. No mother can fill the father’s place in a child’s heart, for fathers nurture and play differently than a mother. Several studies show that an attentive and highly involved father is critical, especially in the early stages of a child’s life. The absence of a father during this stage can lead to “impaired social and behavioral abilities in adults” (Robert, 2013).
Growing up without a father can have a big effect on children and the way that they act as they get older. It has an effect on their behavior, how they treat others, how much they really care about life, and the list goes on and on. The U.S department of Health has stated that children living in a household headed by a female with no spouse present had a poverty rate of 47.6%, which is over 4 times the rate in married coupled families. Which means that children in a father-absent home are 4 times more likely to be poor, it is also said that children of a single-parent home are more than twice as likely to commit suicide. Also, they are at a dramatically greater risk of drug and alcohol abuse. Although there are a lot of effects of not having a father in the house, some effects can depend on whether you are a girl or boy. A fatherless daughter may result in picking the wrong men to deal with because she
... reflected with the likelihood the father is involved and spend time with their children and to have children who are psychologically and emotionally healthier (Parke). Also the mother and father is more responsive, affectionate, and confident with their infants; better know how in dealing with defiant toddlers; and better advising, connecting, and providing emotional support to their teenagers (Parke). Studies have shown children with involved, caring fathers have better educational outcomes. For instance, a study shows that fathers who are involved, nurturing, and playful with their children tend to have children with higher IQs, better linguistic and cognitive capacities (Parke). Lastly, the children through their adulthood are more patient and can handle the stresses and frustrations associated with schooling better than children with less involved fathers (Parke).
Single Parent Struggle For many years, children growing up in a single parent family have been viewed as different. Being raised by only one parent seems impossible to many yet over the decades it has become more prevalent. In today’s society many children have grown up to become emotionally stable and successful whether they had one or two parents to show them the rocky path that life bestows upon all human beings. The problem lies in the difference of children raised by single parents versus children raised by both a mother and a father.