Emotional & Psychological Effects on Females With Absent Fathers
The National Responsible Father Clearinghouse reports that 24 million children are living without fathers as of 2010. For the female children who fill this number, the state of fatherlessness can have serious and lasting repercussions. Because fathers play an important role in female emotional and psychological development, their absence, while not something that is always avoidable, is something that has an impact.
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Disruptive Behaviors
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Though females are not generally as disruptive in class as their male counterparts, they may be more likely to exhibit disruptive behaviors if they grow up without a father. As the U.S Department of Health and Human Services reports, studies on the topic have found that part of what children learn in their relationships with their fathers is how to be respectful to others, a lesson that females who grow up without fathers can miss out on.
Socialization
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Females who grow up in a female-lead household are more likely to act withdrawn than be social, reports the National Responsible Father Clearinghouse. While researchers have not proven the exact reason for this behavior change, they hypothesize that women raised in households without a leading male are less likely to see demonstrations of assertiveness and, as a result, are less outwardly social than those with a strong male role model.
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Substance Abuse
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Substance abuse issues are substantially more common among females raised in homes that lack male leaders, reports the National Responsible Father Clearinghouse. This source states that researchers believe this substance abuse prevalence is due to the fact that females raised without fathers traditionally have lower-levels of self-esteem, leading them to turn to substance abuse to cure their emotional distress.
Sexual Activity
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The National Center for Fathering reports that females raised without strong male role models are significantly more likely to engage in sex at an early age. Researchers suggest that these females engage in sex at an earlier age because they seek approval from men, as they haven't received such approval from a father figure. Along with this earlier age for first sexual encounter comes an increased likelihood of teen pregnancy.
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