[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22820829

A million UK children are growing up without a father in their lives, says a new report on family breakdown.

The Centre for Social Justice report says lone parent families are increasing by more than 20,000 a year, and will top 2,000,000 by the next general election.

In some areas fatherlessness has reached such high levels that they are virtual "men deserts", it adds.

And it accuses politicians on all sides of a "feeble" response.

The report says the number of single parent households has been rising steadily over the past 40 years, and that now 3m children are growing up predominantly with their mothers.

This has led to a huge number of children growing up without a meaningful relationship with their fathers - which the report defines as contact twice a year or more.

The absence of fathers is linked to higher rates of teenage crime, pregnancy and disadvantage, the report says, warning that the UK is experiencing a "tsunami" of family breakdown.

There are 236 pockets of towns in England and Wales where more than 50% of households with dependent children are headed by a lone mother.

And an area in the Manor Castle ward of Sheffield tops the lone parent league table - among households with dependent children, 75% are headed by a lone parent.

Where are all the fathers ? "Lone" or living with someone else ?

[arista]

Yes Many of the Mothers on here
I send my Love to them

[Nedusa]

I think one of the reasons we have this depressing statistic is because some fathers are fathering children with two sometimes three girlfriends. Since he cannot live with them all it results in one or two lone parent families. This is more prevalent amongst the black afro-caribbean community.

[Marsh.]

True. When a woman has children with several different men, she tends to have all the children live with her. Obviously not all the fathers can live with the kids in that case.

[Vicky.]

- Women sleeping around and not knowing who the father is
- Men sleeping around and disappearing off the face of the earth, leaving the mother with a baby
- Women finding a new partner and cutting the father out of her kids' life
- Men finding a new partner and not caring about their responsibilities
- Women being petty and refusing to let father see their kids because he has a new partner or refuses to jump through hoops for her
- Fathers refusing to contribute to their children financially/emotionally, so mothers chosing to cut him out
- A lot of women seem to like older men..so fathers dying..
- Its easier for women to leave abusive relationships now..so that probably contributes. Before they would stay with the father as there was no other option, or it was frowned upon to be a single parent
- Courts deciding in the overwhelming majority of cases to award custody to the mother..no matter the circumstances

^Main reasons I think

Whatever the reasons for this rise though, its sad. IMO a child should have both parents in their life whenever possible.

[Niamh.]

Yeah, good post Vicky. The law is very biased in favour of mothers which needs looking at imo

[Brother Leon]

It's not always the case, but Men who ditch their Children must be the non criminals that most piss me off and disgust me. Huge respect to to the great Mothers who still raise the kids brilliantly.

[Kizzy]

Did anyone see this article in the telegraph?
Disgusting opinion here....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/cele...e-Winslet.html

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Did anyone see this article in the telegraph?
Disgusting opinion here....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/cele...e-Winslet.html

The fathers name is Ned Rocknroll?

[Benjamin]

"The absence of fathers is linked to higher rates of teenage crime, pregnancy and disadvantage, the report says, warning that the UK is experiencing a "tsunami" of family breakdown."

Bollocks. That will apply to some families/children but I know plenty of children who have grown up in single parent families who are doing amazing things and I know plenty of children who were from two parent families who have gone into nothing.

[fruit_cake]

It does worry me, but only to an extent. It's probably better growing up with one loving parent than two who don't do a very good job. I really think each individual case is different from the next, and these huge generalisations do as much damage as they sort out.

It also concerns me just as much the amount of children growing up in nurseries these days..in extreme cases they are just a few weeks old and get dumped to be looked after all day long. This is sometimes shown as 'good' as obviously it's in the interests of business. I don't think it's good at all though.

[Kizzy]

This is research from the 'no s*** sherlock' society, of course it's beneficial for a child to be raised by both loving and nurturing parents but that isn't always an option, and it does show lone parents in a poor light here.
Unless there is a positive role model in a childs life of both sexes then the child will be at a disadvantage socially.
That is only my opinion.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Did anyone see this article in the telegraph?
Disgusting opinion here....
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/cele...e-Winslet.html

I don't see the need for that article. As far as I know, Kate Winslet doesn't really talk about her private life much so for the writer to pass judgement when we don't know what brought about the end of her marriages is just cruel.

Granted, it's not ideal to be having several children with different fathers (the same as a man impregnating several different women) but it's nobody else's business but her own.

I'm not usually one to shout "sexism" but I agree with the top comment, if a male actor of Kate's profile had three kids with three wives would this woman have still written an article? I doubt it.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by 08marsh

I don't see the need for that article. As far as I know, Kate Winslet doesn't really talk about her private life much so for the writer to pass judgement when we don't know what brought about the end of her marriages is just cruel.

Granted, it's not ideal to be having several children with different fathers (the same as a man impregnating several different women) but it's nobody else's business but her own.

Totally, and there has been a right backlash over it even from her fellow writers..
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/wom...-to-women.html

[ThisIsNickkk]

It is a worrying statistic, but, I haven't had my father in my life since I was 10 and it hasn't done me any harm.

I think it makes you respect your mother more as well when your father isn't present, not to mention I have gone on to university and have high for the future, which is why it annoys me so much when teenagers who are little ****s blame it on the absence of a parent.

There are several different factors why marriages break down...

[the truth]

Originally Posted by Ben

"The absence of fathers is linked to higher rates of teenage crime, pregnancy and disadvantage, the report says, warning that the UK is experiencing a "tsunami" of family breakdown."

Bollocks. That will apply to some families/children but I know plenty of children who have grown up in single parent families who are doing amazing things and I know plenty of children who were from two parent families who have gone into nothing.

You are wrong plain and simple. the facts prove that in the enormous majority kids who grow up fatherless are worse off. Fact.

[the truth]

Originally Posted by fruit_cake

It does worry me, but only to an extent. It's probably better growing up with one loving parent than two who don't do a very good job. I really think each individual case is different from the next, and these huge generalisations do as much damage as they sort out.

It also concerns me just as much the amount of children growing up in nurseries these days..in extreme cases they are just a few weeks old and get dumped to be looked after all day long. This is sometimes shown as 'good' as obviously it's in the interests of business. I don't think it's good at all though.

the main problem is the law is too biased in favour of mothers. get the law to be fair and balanced and you solve a lot of problems.

[Kizzy]

Here we go..... haha
From the perspective of primary socialization A positive role model of either sex within the home is beneficial, it doesn't have to be mum and dad...
A change in family law would help, give parents married or unmarried the same rights, this would help both parties no end if they decide to separate.

[the truth]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Here we go..... haha
From the perspective of primary socialization A positive role model of either sex within the home is beneficial, it doesn't have to be mum and dad...
A change in family law would help, give parents married or unmarried the same rights, this would help both parties no end if they decide to separate.

whats the ha ha about?

yes fathers need the same rights as women but that appears not to be on the agenda....so more kids will end up with the worse parent due to bias in the law ruining the lives of millions of kids
no doubt the benefits system also helps institutionalize this breakdown and actually rewards it financially.....the spineless politicians instead of rectifying it head on do the usual cowardly thing and save money by targeting the sick , disabled and elderly....marvellous

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by the truth

whats the ha ha about?

yes fathers need the same rights as women but that appears not to be on the agenda....so more kids will end up with the worse parent due to bias in the law ruining the lives of millions of kids
no doubt the benefits system also helps institutionalize this breakdown and actually rewards it financially.....the spineless politicians instead of rectifying it head on do the usual cowardly thing and save money by targeting the sick , disabled and elderly....marvellous

fathers don't deserve ANY rights until they first demonstrate that they are taking equal responsibilities. That starts with at the very least taking FINANCIAL responsibility.

If he can't be bothered to provide financial stability, then why should we trust him to provide any kind of emotional stability?

If you can't be bothered to show up for a job regularly, then there's no reason for us to trust them to show up for visits regularly, and it's not fair on a little girl to be told, your dad is coming today, and then he doesn't show up.

If he can't show up for his job, then he has no right to show up to see his little girl.

[the truth]

Originally Posted by lostalex

fathers don't deserve ANY rights until they first demonstrate that they are taking equal responsibilities. That starts with at the very least taking FINANCIAL responsibility.

If he can't be bothered to provide financial stability, then why should we trust him to provide any kind of emotional stability?

If you can't be bothered to show up for a job regularly, then there's no reason for us to trust them to show up for visits regularly, and it's not fair on a little girl to be told, your dad is coming today, and then he doesn't show up.

If he can't show up for his job, then he has no right to show up to see his little girl.

totally biased hetrosexual male hating drivel as always....zzzzzzz

the mother should have to prove exactly the same thing to exactly the same standard and the law should be exactly the same for both sides, that is equality , anything less is sexist lies and false propoganda

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by the truth

totally biased hetrosexual male hating drivel as always....zzzzzzz

the mother should have to prove exactly the same thing to exactly the same standard and the law should be exactly the same for both sides, that is equality , anything less is sexist lies and false propoganda

Hear, hear.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by the truth

the mother should have to prove exactly the same thing to exactly the same standard and the law should be exactly the same for both sides, that is equality , anything less is sexist lies and false propoganda

I actually agree with that.

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by the truth

You are wrong plain and simple. the facts prove that in the enormous majority kids who grow up fatherless are worse off. Fact.

Wow, could you be a bit more of an ass when replying, I was just sharing an opinion. My point was, not everyone who grows up without a father becomes a menace to society. Most people I have met/know who grew up without a father are not.

[lostalex]

I agree that any woman who abandons her family, and contributes nothing financially should face exactly the same obstacles that fathers have to face to see their kids.

I don't think anyone would disagree with that.

The truth is there are a ****load more dead-beat dads then there are dead-beat moms though. That's just pure statistics.