Absent Fathers

Kids with absent fathers are affected mentally and physically by the leaving of their fathers. Fatherless children are going to have behavioral issues in and out of school due to them feeling some sort of resentment towards or from others around them.  According to All4Kids, “fatherless children have more difficulties with social adjustment, and are more likely to report problems with friendships, and manifest behavior problems.” Also, “many develop swaggering, intimidating persona to attempt to disguise their underlying fears, resentment, anxieties and unhappiness.” Finally, “Delinquency and youth crime including violent crime (85 percent of youth in prison have an absent father; fatherless children are more likely to offend and go to jail as adults).” These pieces of evidence show that there are severe consequences that children can suffer by their fathers leaving, or just not being in their lives or having certain custody rights. Children who have absent fathers are severely at risk of going to prison if people can’t find a way that will help make them feel as if they are not alone. 

Children with absent fathers are also going to be at a psychological, mental, or emotional conflict as well, meaning that they are going to be battling demons that other people in this world are never going to have to worry about or deal with. As an example, All4Kids also reports that “Childrens diminished self-concept, and compromised physical and emotional security (children consistently report feeling abandoned when their fathers are not in their lives, struggling with their emotions and episodic bouts of self-loathing.” It also says that, “Although the absence of their father is not an isolated risk factor, it definitely can take a toll on the development of the children. This is important to take note of, as many would argue that one parental role is more significant than the other. That is simply not true.” (all4kids.org). Also something that is really important that the article does state is, “Mental health disorders (father absent children are consistently overrepresented on a wide range of mental health problems, particularly anxiety, depression and suicide).” These pieces of evidence show and give examples of some of the things that children who do not have their fathers in their lives have to deal with. It also shows what some people just broadly and uneducatedly say as a way of trying to sugar coat what is actually happening. 

Studies show that children with absent fathers are more likely to harm themselves, the worst of which can result in suicide. All4Kids states that, “Physical health problems (fatherless children report significantly more psychosomatic health symptoms and illnesses such as acute and chronic back pain, asthma, headaches, and stomach aches.” Another thing that is important that is often ignored is, “Drug and alcohol abuse (fatherless children are more likely to smoke, drink alcohol, and abuse drugs in childhood and adulthood).”  Finally, kids that live in a fatherless home are sadly exposed to these types of things: “Exploitation and abuse (fatherless children are at greater risk of suffering physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, being five times more likely to have experienced physical abuse and emotional maltreatmeant, with one hundred times higher risk of fatal abuse; a recent study reported that preschoolers not living with both biological parents are 40 times more likely to be sexually abused).” These pieces of evidence are key factors that are a huge cause to why children who are fatherless have issues with other adults, the reason for abuse. Many of the children in this world who are fatherless have either emotionally, physically or sexually been abused by an adult in their lives. These pieces of evidence show the key things that we need to realize about what has happened with many of these kids who have lost trust in adults because of abuse and because of their father being absent.

It is sad to hear that this is happening to such young children, and it is really sad to hear that fathers are willing to leave their child that they helped have. Just knowing that the child will not know their father is unsettling to myself as a person who has undergone my father leaving me and my mother. I was fortunate enough for a wonderful man to step into mine and my mother’s lives, but there is yet still a void and piece of me that is missing due to my father being gone. And I feel that this happens to others that are living in a fatherless home, and even if they are fortunate enough to have a step-father then they still feel the sort of pain that will never leave them. Help spread awareness for these kids. It isn’t fair to them what is happening in their lives.