<mediadc-video-embed data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1655843779982,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"0000017b-3108-d928-a77f-73ccd2e60000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1655843779982,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"0000017b-3108-d928-a77f-73ccd2e60000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"rawHtml":"
var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_55843773", "obj": {"id":"27789","width":"16","height":"9","video":"1036971"} }); ","_id":"00000181-87f1-d789-a3f7-9ff715860000","_type":"2f5a8339-a89a-3738-9cd2-3ddf0c8da574"}”>Video EmbedI may not be a parent yet, but as a child, I have seen firsthand the big and subtle impacts a parent can have on their child. Some are closer to their parents than others, yet there is always a pattern of children following in their parents’ footsteps. I should know — my mother was once a journalist.
But for those who live in a household with an absent father, there is no clear direction to follow, and many head down the wrong path. This is a rising problem, and research shows just that.
“The percentage of boys living apart from their biological father has almost doubled since 1960 — from about 17% to 32% today,” according to the Institute for Family Studies.
Now, let’s be clear, parents are not perfect. Even the fathers that are most involved in their children’s lives will still, in some way, negatively affect them. This research is merely an observation that young men with absent biological fathers are being negatively affected, leading to unproductive lives.
“Even though not all fathers play a positive role in their children’s lives, on average, boys benefit from having a present and involved father,” the article states.
It is important to note that this is the average found among young men. There are success stories of those beating the odds and achieving their goals. However, for the majority, this is not the case. You hear about those stories because it’s rare and unique to do the exact opposite of what has been modeled in your home. One is more likely to see those who did not grow up with a biological father be idle, prioritizing hours of screen time over work.
“Young men who grew up with their biological father are more than twice as likely to graduate college by their late-20s, compared to those raised in families without their biological father (35% vs. 14%),” IFS says.
Young men that have present biological fathers are 20% more likely to graduate from college than those without a biological father present in the household. Not only is this an unaddressed problem, but the problem is bigger than just not receiving a diploma.
Aside from pursuing higher education and entering the workforce, researchers also found that those who grew up with biological fathers had a higher success rate in staying out of trouble.
Warren Farrell, author of The Boy Crisis, says “Boys with dad-deprivation often experience a volcano of festering anger … And with boys’ much greater tendency to act out, the boys who hurt will be the ones most likely to hurt us.”
Farrell found that those who grew up in fatherless homes were twice as likely as those with their biological father present to be arrested or incarcerated by age 30.
It’s no coincidence that young men without fathers are living different lives than those with one. The problems we see with young men today are a direct result of the torn nuclear family. It’s clear to see that young men need their fathers to function in society. It is a key component for them to be successful human beings.
Esther Wickham is a summer 2022 Washington Examiner fellow.
