The Negative Effects Of Absentee Fathers On The Father

Growing up without a father is an arduous task and challenging to any child. The negative emotional impact of such an upbringing leaves a child emotionally deprived of the father’s love and a male role model to look up to. The absentee father problem is a global problem, and many organizations have taken up the role of advocating for absentee fathers to be reengaged into the children’s lives. This concerted effort is a response to the research that has shown that depriving a child of the father’s presence has negative consequences in a child’s life. In an unprecedented change to the debate on whether it is okay to reengage the absentee father into a child’s life, the positive impact the re-engagement has on the father has also been introduced

These programs seek to help reconnect fathers with their children by providing an environment where the fathers can meet and interact with their children on a collective basis with other parents. The programs focus on absentee fathers that have left prison, separated with their families or do not have jobs and have since deserted their families on those grounds. Within these programs, the fathers learn of various ways via which they can reconnect with the children by involving them in the children’s lives (Toppo 1). Critics of the programs have raised concern with this issue. They argue that involving parents without an income and with a history of domestic violence into the lives of children is bound to be counterproductive in the long run. The critics argue that the children may need a male role model to model their lives around, but the absentee fathers do not fit that requirement. They also argue that these fathers are already associated with hurt and pain and involving them in the lives of the children further subjects the children to more

It is obvious those children need a male role model and that children brought up by single parents tend to suffer academically and socially. However, the absentee fathers have a negative aura surrounding them and shaking this negativity needs to be factored in the process. Involving such absentee fathers is an excellent idea, but the details of the involvement need to be discussed further. The debate should, therefore, shift from if the fathers should be involved to how the fathers can be involved. The shift in perception will see the program’s successful implementation in a way that will benefit the children in the long