No child should have to be raised by a single parent, but then again, we do not live in a perfect world by any means. Our society is full of greed and self-absorption that it has gotten to the point where some children’s lives are becoming harder and, in some cases, ruined because of a lack of a bond with both parents. Father-Absent home environments cause a multitude of problems for children, like attachment issues, poor school performance, and mental health issues, these environments are making a largely negative impact on my generation. Fathers absent from a child’s life can lead to attachment issues.
“Attachment refers to the deep emotional bond that develops between a caregiver and a child.” (Bowlby 1988) The importance of a good parent-child bond cannot be stressed enough. “Children who come from a father-absent home are more likely to experience attachment-related problems than those from a two-parent household.”(King, 1994; Furstenberg & Cherlin, 1991; Seltzer, 1991). Mental health benefits associated with the bonds formed between parents and children in a two-parent household are significantly stronger and hold more value when forming relationships with other people. “The active involvement of a father with his children can promote empathy and self-control for the child throughout life.” (Brown) Father-Child bonds have unique value as do mother-child bonds.
Father-Absent home environments can lead to poor school performance. “Research has shown that children who come from a father-absent home are more likely to drop out of school when compared to children who live in a two-parent household.”(Whitehead & Holland, 2003;Popemoe, 1996; Blankenhorn, 1995; McLanahan, & Shandefur, 1994; Sampson, 1987). School is important to a child’s development and future, and so is a good father-child relationship. “Children from father-absent homes are also less likely to pursue higher education.” (Keith & Finlay, 1988). Young men may have to go to work to support their mom and possibly siblings and miss out on an important opportunity that is college. “It is important to note that African American boys who identify their father as their role model demonstrate significantly higher-grade point averages and are less likely to be truant from school.” (Bryant, 2003). Some students who are determined enough won’t let their disadvantages in life slow them down in terms of education.
Fathers who abandon their children can have long lasting affects over time such as depression due to “perceiving abandonment”. “Children who grow up without their fathers may come to resent paternal-figures due to perceived abandonment. These feelings may burgeon from a lack of trust and result in a heightened sense of anger.” (Poehlmann, 2005). These emotions running wild in a young child can lead to all sorts of mental issues later in life. “As a child grows into adolescence and young adulthood, these problems may contribute to contact with the criminal justice system, use of illicit substances, as well as a variety of mental health problems.” (Poehlmann, 2005). Drugs are an easy way to cope with the emotional effects of abandonment, no doubt a child could turn to them to gain a sense of comfort in their life. “These consequences may result in interpersonal dilemmas including the inability to develop strong social bonds.” (Poehlmann, 2005) I have personally seen issues from people with a lack of a parent in their household. This is a big problem for my generation.
Father-Absent home environments could be detrimental to a child’s social abilities. Attachment issues, poor school performance, mental health issues, and many more issues can arise when a father is not present in the raising of a child. In conclusion, our generation is being affected by the broken bonds these so called “parents” and the lack thereof.
Citation
- Brown, Jerrod. “Father-Absent Homes: Implications for Criminal Justice and Mental Health Professionals.” Minnesota Psychological Association, www.mnpsych.org/index.php?option=com_dailyplanetblog&view=entry&category=industry%2Bnews&id=54%3Afather-absent-homes-implications-for-criminal-justice-and-mental-health-professionals.
