Quote:
Originally Posted by WOMBAI
That is somewhat of a sweeping statement! Don't buy into comments that families without fathers are dysfunctional! Many fathers are dysfunctional! It is the type of upbringing that counts - and that is not necessarily related to the presence or not of a father figure! That is just an easy cop-out!
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Actually, I think a lack of father figures is a huge part of the gang problems. Not only do they lack the strong disciplinary presence that a father brings but they also lack a potentially good role model. Of course, some fathers are bad role models. So are some Mothers. Especially weak Mothers.
Those first 7-8 years of a childs life are crucial. If you don't instill the basics(respect, manners, civility etc) into a child in those years then you will have a hell of a job trying to do it later on.
Many join gangs precisely because they come from broken homes and desperately need to belong. Gangs become their adopted family; they will literally die, kill or serve prison time for their new blood. So lack of Fathers is a very valid issue here.
What looks like a very male related issue(ie; gang violence) can be very much traced back to the choices females make. Like who fathers their children. So many females do not put enough thought into this and just go with their own selfish needs; I know of many females who are attracted to bad boy types and will deliberately get pregnant as a way of trapping them. Thinking it will tame them! Next thing we have another fatherless child. Then there's the needy women with low self esteem. They have children to fill their own emotional needs; don't care much about who the father is or whether he'll be there for the childs life.
It seems to be acceptable these days for women to have children without a father. Even using sperm banks. This is disastrous for society and we are certainly seeing the affects. Im not knocking mothers who become single through valid reasons. But many have just made very selfish choices.