The father is a critical figure in child development. However, rapid social changes have led to the acceptance of single-parenthood rendering children without fathers. Today, many children grow up without their fathers. That could have an effect on the proper development of children. The article Father absence and adolescent development: a review of the literature establishes the of father absence in adolescent development. The article notes that changes are social structures in the last 20 years have necessitated single motherhood. It acknowledges the significance of the father figure in the development of children.
The authors claim that there is a special relationship between fathers and children that influences the proper psychological development of children. The farther confirms the lack of enough literature to compare the essence of the mother and father in child development. While traditions tend to put much emphasis on the mother figure, the male identity is as well significant in influencing the psychological well-being of children ( East, Jackson & O'Brien, 2006) . Fathers play the role of instilling personal values, protection factor, and psychological development. These farther influence the level of maturity in adolescence and adulthood. In addition, fathers shape the reasoning and self-concept of children.
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In defining ‘father absence’, the article acknowledges the ambiguity of the term as absence can arise from several reasons such as death divorce, neglect, or commitment. Lack of clarity of the term is a challenge to adopting a comprehensive interpretation of previous findings. Findings of a study in the article reveal lower problems in families headed by single mothers for the study period of six years. Secondly children from single mothers that emerged from conflicting families exhibited higher behavioral issues ( East, Jackson & O'Brien, 2006) . In a conflicting view, the authors compare a study that reveal the psychological stability of children in single parenthood but with a parent with whom they have a good relationship. The article concludes that there is an existence of a literature gap in studying the impact of father absence.
Reference
East, L., Jackson, D., & O'Brien, L. (2006). Father absence and adolescent development: a review of the literature. Journal of Child Health Care , 10 (4), 283-295.
