| Information
(Statistical and Useful) |
Illustrations
and Supporting Texts |
Interpretations... |
Some
time has been given to this page; for one, because it is different - and
is intended to teach or instruct through data, illustrations, and
conclusions on a subject that remains a matter of personal concern...Fathers & Families
|
On
this concern, much of the initial material (Illustrations and texts) will
be drawn from the 5th addition of Father Facts with segments from
other cited texts, Web sources and general media. |
Conclusions
& interpretations will include a combination of the material and my
own opinion and/or experience. Judicious effort will be
attempted to limited by opinion however... |
| Father
Facts,
National Fatherhood Initiative
|
American
Coalition for Fathers and Children... |
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| Several
references will be represented on this page but, to begin, the Father
Facts is the base for the outline. The
other references will be cited in the posted documents. One
other resource that comes to mind is the membership manual for the
American Coalition for Fathers and Children...
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There
is much to learn from these two organizations -- and those who have
researched the concerns of families and fathers. As I share
what I've learned (or am learning), I hope to convey - as well - my
personal story and view on matters of my own family and my experiences as
a father of divorce... |
|
Trends in
the Absence of Fathers
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| Family
Structure; the structure of the family (and stability) is of vital import to our free
society; not just the semblance of a family but the cohesion and unity
that lend to true structure....
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Iniative_FatherStructure_06-27-09.pdf
- Marriage is best for the
children...
|
My
own absence from my children's life is of prime concern to me; first, for
the basic loss of a father and, second, for what they have been told...led
to believe in my absence. |
| Family
Arrangements; the
arrangement of the family is likewise important; most children seem to
live with married couples -- although this statistic is decreasing due to
some choosing alternatives...
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Iniative_FatherArrangements_06-27-09.pdf
- Arrangements are how
we...and who...
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...that
include divorce -- as was my case. Being that conventional
marriages is a safety net for children and adults alike, I would
have preferred to remain married...with children/ |
| Father
Absence; the
absence of fathers from families is one of the greatest social crisis of
our modern culture. Sometimes father have to be gone because
of work or military service; still...
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Iniative_FatherAbsence_06-27-09.pdf
- Children suffer from
absent fathers...
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...the
less excusable absence is where adults fail to take responsibility for
their children or - worst yet - is where one parent prevents the other
from having a relationship... |
| Single
Parent Families;
single-parent
families are not uncommon; and many single-parents due a stellar job or
raising their kids. When a parent chooses to leave or to
break-up the family, the...
|
Iniative_FatherSingleParent_06-27-09.pdf
- Children's best interest
must be....
|
the
consequences can be devastating. Kids need to know the truth
(with sensitivity to age); and if they are told differently, the
consequences can also be devastating... |
| Out-of-Wedlock;
unmarried with children is a
growing trend - not because of teens but, more so, about the changing
cultural values that consider fathers as unnecessary or superfluous...
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Iniative_FatherOutofWedlock_06-27-09.pdf
- Marriage is becoming
less popular...
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and
therefore can be omitted from the family and - at best - relegated to some
role as financial contributor...and nothing more |
| Divorce;
an institution of its
own, divorce is a cash cow for our country's legal system; yet the
short-sighted and greedy aspect of the industry leaves many blind to the
ill-effects of society...
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Iniative_FatherDivorce_06-28-09.pdf
- Divorce destroys
families
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--
to the lasting and generational adversity imposed on families, communities
and the culture at large. Families need help -- not the hindrances
of No-Fault divorce and the like... |
| Father
& Dad;
men
suffer more -- according to studies -- from divorce -- which shouldn't be
surprising in view of the fact that they most often lose their children,
their property, their marriage..
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Iniative_FatherDads_06-28-09.pdf
- Children suffer --
according to surveys...
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...their
income and their rights as a parent -- usually without violating the law
or any matrimonial statutes. Again and again, the children
suffer the most... |
| Father
& Visitation; nothing
is more harmful to a parent than to lose authority in their children's
lives; yet the state regulates these so-called parents such that their
time and ability is very limited...
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Iniative_FatherVisitation_06-28-09.pdf
- Many report visitation
problems...
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...lending
to unnecessary constraints toward effective parenting and, once again, the
suffering and detriment of the children... |
| Father
& Children; yes,
divorce has reduced the support needed for children in every area.
The courts make for a lousy paternal replacement with literally no mission
or purpose to manage....
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Iniative_FatherChildren_06-28-09.pdf
- What do the children
think of divorce?
|
...families.
When a family (or parent) invites the courts into their lives, the result
is seldom in the best interest of the children. They need love; but
the courts are dispassionate. |
| Unmarried
& Children;
Again, marriage is the safest
place for people -- according to surveys. Contrary to some
media, the conventional family is a safe haven for children and women
alike. Contrast...
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Iniative_FatherUnMarried_06-28-09.pdf
- Marriage is a great
design, but people...
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...this
conventional family with all other arrangement where, according to data,
the children are generally less loved, care for, and |
| Divorce
& Health; on
average, men do not do as well as women in adapting to (or recovering
from) divorce. In fact, the morbidity rate for men is 7 to 10 times
higher than women; and when you....
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Iniative_FatherHealth_06-28-09.pdf
- Fathers are less able to
recover from...
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...consider
that men lose so much - and in particular their role as parents - than it
should not be surprise. Invariably the dad does not do
as well...and neither do the children... |
| Divorce
& Parenting; I still hold that anything
short of shared parenting is no parenting at all; yes, many complain that
their role is reduced to that of a babysitter at best; what's more, the
divorce...
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Iniative_FatherParents_06-28-09.pdf
- And for the future parents, what
then?
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...lends
to negative views and standards (about marriage, family and parenting) for
the children. Statistics show that divorce places greater risk on
future relationships, marriage and the like... |
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Father
Time & Family-Work Conflict
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| Father
Time; most would agree that young folks
need father time - or that they need time with their fathers...if they
have fathers; otherwise, a "father-figure" is good
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Iniative_FatherTime_07-17-09.pdf
- Young Folks need Father
Time...
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The
consequences of limited or no father time have been determined through
survey, studies and statistics; and the results are conclusive on the
adversity brought to bear... |
| Family-Work
Conflict; the conflict
of work and other duties can definitely interfere with much needed family
time; but men have apparently taken...
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Iniative_WorkConflict_07-17-09.pdf
- Priorities have shifted
for men...
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..more
responsibility toward the care of their children in spite of a tradition
as equating care to financial earning or income... |
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Consequences
of Father Absence...
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| Child
Abuse; the presence and
contact with a father has many benefits - one of which is to steer their
children toward good choices; notably, don't abuse drugs or destroy your
health...
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Iniative_ChildAbuse_07-17-09.pdf
- Drugs are less abused
with Fathers present in the home...
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gain,
the two-parent home is the safest and best environment for kids; there is
a better and proven place - with both parents.... |
| Crime;
as one who has witnessed firsthand a few sad stories of juvenile and then
adult offenders - without dads in the home - I am not shocked by to hear
personal testimonies and to read of statistics bearing out the realism of
life without a father....
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Iniative_Crime_07-17-09.pdf
- Crime and father absence
have a markedly strong correlation or association
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...the
male role-models can be good or bad; models derived from fictional
characters or other young men can be typically be bad for several reasons;
hence, the dire need for real, mature and responsible role models for the
kids... |
| Drug
& Alcohol Abuse; drug
abuse is yet another adverse circumstance imposed on kids that have not
father or, for a variety of reasons, have been separated from their
father...
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Iniative_DrugAbuse_07-17-09.pdf
- Drugs drop as
well...with dads around
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As
to the cause for drug abuse (among youth), prevention would be the
guidance and support that warns of careless and dangerous decisions
impacting the life and health of the child..... |
| Education;
most kids seem to need help in
school - if just to encourage them. In a single-parent family, the
support and assistance is less likely to occur - if for not other reason
than the parent is...
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Iniative_Education_07-17-09.pdf
- Support and assistance
is better from two
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...doubly
busy. Whereas two parents are more accessible for this needed
support, one parent must now double their effort; but this ability, though
well intended, is not as possible |
| Emotional
& Behavioral Problems;
the emotional problems of
fatherless children can run wide and deep - lasting for many years...into
their adult lives, marriages and roles as parents themselves.
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Iniative_EmotionalProblems_07-17-09.pdf
- Problems passed on to
generations...
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Divorce
destroy marriages - but it also has long term effects on the relationships
of the adult children. Like a disease, divorce is generational... |
| Physical
Health; infant
mortality, under weight births and general life span is notably different
for children of divorce than for those of intact families. Can an active
father make a difference in
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Iniative_PhysicalHealth_07-17-09.pdf
- Can an active father
help heal...?
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In
a bygone ere, father's new best; but today, the rules have changed; but
have they? An active father can help care for his children - lending
to healthier children on balance... |
| Poverty;
divorce divides the families'
income - often leading to regulated child support and less overall income
spread among two households - rather than one; in short, divorce destroys
a families...
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Iniative_Poverty_07-17-09.pdf
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...ability
to sustain their living - putting added pressure on mother's to work more
- leaving less time for the care of the children who need them - who
depend on them.... |
| Sexual
Activity; the
statistics of out-of-wedlock sexual activity are alarming in general;
couple the concerns with missing fathers and what you get is more
activity, more out-of-wedlock pregnancy and
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Iniative_SexualActivity_07-17-09.pdf
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...more
risks and negative consequences leading the certainty that having a father
in the home is a contribution to chastity for both sexes of the young
folks... |
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Positive
Effects of Father's Presence
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| Attitudes
about Positive Father Involvement;
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| The
Positive Impact of Father Involvement on Child Well-Being;
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| The
Positive Impact of Father Involvement on Men;
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| Predictors
of Father Involvement;
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Differences
in Maternal/Paternal Behavior
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| Not
just another Pair of Hands;
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Marriage
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| Attitudes
about Marriage;
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| The
Facts about Marriage;
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| Marriage
and Father Involvement;
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Adoption
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| Trends
in Adoption;
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| Consequences
of Adoption for Child Well-Being;
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| Consequences
for the Birth Mother...of placing a child for adoption;
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"Commerce
and manufactures can seldom flourish in any state in which there is not a
certain degree of confidence in the justice of government." -
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations