The absence of fathers from children’s lives can have negative consequences on both the individual level and the broader society. And in South Africa, this is a significant problem. By Tsholofelo Masela
It is a fact that almost 70% of South African children live without a father in the household. The societal impact of absent fathers is significant and wide-ranging. What are the inevitable consequences of this?
Emotional & behavioural challenges
Children whose fathers are not present face a lack of guidance and support in making healthy choices and understanding relationships. A multitude of emotional and behavioral challenges are some of the fundamental issues faced by children without present fathers. For instance, these children are more likely to struggle with issues such as low self-esteem, depression, and have difficulties forming healthy relationships.
The absence of a father figure can lead to feelings of abandonment and contribute to psychological developmental stagnation, mostly in fatherless boys. In the case of girls growing up without a father’s presence, they’re far more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour and have a higher incidence of teenage pregnancy. The social and developmental challenges of growing up without a father figure for both boys and girls are numerous.
Strong and present male figures offer support and guidance, increasing children’s abilities to form trust and build their capacity to interact positively with others. The absence of a father in a household can encourage detachment and anti-social tendencies, which may in turn cause psychological developmental stagnation.
Children of absent fathers may unfortunately repeat the pattern of abandoning their own children or fathering children in multiple relationships without consistent support. This cycle can have intergenerational effects and lead to a higher prevalence of single-mother households.
Read more about why fathers need to be involved in their kids’ lives
The challenges of single mothers
Single mothers who bear the responsibility of raising children alone, without the support and involvement of fathers, have great emotional, financial and physical strain upon them. This makes it very challenging to meet all the needs of their children effectively.
Fatigue, emotional dysregulation and even in some cases, alcoholism and drug abuse are some of the challenges of single mothers. This of course, negatively affects their children who, instead of having one functional parent, now live with the reality of an emotionally unstable parent and an absent one.
Read our Single Parent’s Survival Guide here
Community consequences
Communities with high rates of father absence often experience social and economic challenges. The lack of positive role models and stable family structures can contribute to higher crime rates, social unrest, and strained community relationships. Family structures contribute greatly to the way children develop their emotional and cognitive behaviours.
Single parents cannot be expected to provide all of those structures without help. This contributes negatively to the development of children who have physically, emotionally and financially strained single parents who are expected to provide all that is necessary for the developmental rearing of children.
Addressing the issue
Children who grow up without positive male role models in their lives find it difficult to navigate gender differences because their upbringing only exposes them to the range of female emotional, physical and psychological behaviours. This is why programmes like Boys to Men exist where young boys and men work together to fulfill the social and developmental challenges caused by absent fathers.
Addressing the issue of absent fathers requires a multi-faceted approach, involving support systems for single parents, educational programs promoting responsible fatherhood, and initiatives aimed at breaking the cycle of father absence. By providing resources and opportunities for fathers to be actively involved in their children’s lives, we can try and mitigate the societal impact of absent fathers and promote healthier family and community dynamics.
