The Impact of Fatherless Homes on Children

1. Abstract

The research study investigates the impacts of fatherless homes on children's growth and development. The research focused on girls. It examined their behavioral stability and its link to the absence of fathers in their life. The study was conducted on a sample of 100 participants, who were targeted for data collection. The collected data was analyzed to draw findings and conclusions on the topic of study. It was established that girls are more likely to become mothers at a tender age when they lack a father figure in their early life than when they have one. Children from homes without fathers also tend to suffer from low self-esteem more than those from families where a father is present. The absence of a father affects their general development and performance in school.

2. Statement of the Problem

The problem of missing fathers in homes is as old as the human race. Early deaths created fatherless children. Still, with time other factors such as wars, and rural-urban migration, which becomes a big issue after industrialization, augmented the issue of missing fathers in the home (Cooper, 2013). These factors have created an alarming rate of missing fathers in homes that have weakened the institution of the family.

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In recent years, there has been a drastic increase in the number of separations and divorce cases, which has contributed to disturbing growth in the number of homes that experience that problem of missing fathers. The number of single mothers is exponentially growing.

Intrinsically, children are not getting the much needed fatherly guidance and support, which leaves them weak (Gaydosh, Belsky, Domingue, Boardman, & Harris, 2018). Generally, being emotionally weaker than boys, girls suffer more. Emotional challenges are a real issue for girls in homes with missing fathers, a problem that permeates every aspect of their growth, creating more social challenges in society.

The existing literature reveals that missing fathers impact negatively on children's growth and development. As Wood and Brownhill (2018) assert in the research work on the topic, fathers are a critical pillar in children’s growth, their absence for whatever reason creates a gap that when not filled immediately, affects the mental and social development of children (Gaydosh et al., 2018). Children from fatherless homes are more likely to be violent because of weak control over their emotions than those from homes that have fathers present. The issue of missing fathers is caused by various factors, which include death, getting children out of wedlock, separation, divorce, and the father working far away from the family (Luo, Wang, & GAO, 2012).

Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study is to establish how the missing fathers in homes impact the upbringing of girls. The investigation seeks to bring out the issues that arise in children’s life because of the absence of fathers in their lives (Gaydosh et al., 2018). At the same time, it seeks to establish the causes of their absence with a view of trying to establish a remedy to improve the upbringing of children.

3. Problem Statement & Research Questions

Problem statement

Missing fathers in homes impacts negatively on girls’ development by subjecting them to mental and social challenges that have far-reaching effects on their general growth (Børve, & Bungum, 2015).

Research Questions

I. How does this affect the upbringing of sons/daughters?

II. What are some issues that contribute to absent Fathers?

III. What are some resources that could help Fathers become more involved?

4. Research Methodology

The primary method for this research is the survey approach, which targets the population on which the cost survey is applied. The random sampling procedure is used to ensure that everyone who meets that qualification has a chance to participate in the study. The sample estimate is 1000 people; the size of my sample is 100. The sample size is informed by research standards, which guide the minimal number of participants one needs for a quality study.

Data Collection

The data collection is done using a structured questionnaire that has open and closed questions. The collection of data will entail giving out questionnaires to the sampled population to answer the questions therein. Before giving out the questionnaires or embarking of the collection of data, requisite permissions from authorities shall be sought. The interviewees will be allowed to know their rights and freedoms before participating in the research.

The limitation of the methodology is that the participants will be limited to questions on the questionnaire; hence more information that might be useful but not captured by the questionnaire will not be collected.

Method Two- Pre-Existing Data

The research will use re-existing data on missing fathers in homes to gather more information on the topical issue. Information shall be gathered by assessing relevant information from numerous databases that exist. Information shall be selected based on its relevance to the topic of research.

Random sampling shall be applied to pick specific files of data from the relevant files that are available. The sampling takes the form of choosing files by their title and piling them together before randomly selecting a specific number that is used in the study.

The limitation of this method is that bias of the initial data collection shall be passed down to this research. At the same time, the pre-existing data is not the most current, hence possible gaps. Pre-existing data is also limited to what is accessible; a lot of relevant data may not be accessed because of restriction on its use and bureaucracies one has to go through before gaining access.

Expected Outcomes

The study will offer information on the specific effects of missing fathers in the home on girls’ development. The information will be useful in helping the relevant authority to improve the upbringing of children the negative effects of the absence of a father. The research will help parents, community, government, and organizations involved in child welfare programs to gain new insights into the nitty-gritty of the effects of an absent father to children growth and development

The research will also contribute to the existing body of knowledge on the issue of missing father's impact on children by offering much current information that specifically targets girl child. Currently, there exists insufficient information on the topic. Therefore, the value of this research in enhancing the already existing knowledge on the issue is critical.

3. Project Goals and Objectives

The project will be tailored towards eliciting important information that can be used to address the high prevalence of daughters who grow without their fathers. There is a need to identify if there are any gaps in the growth and development of these girls. As such, there will be a need to track the developmental milestones and the growth of the girls to determine whether they followed the normal curve, or whether there were some inconsistencies (Wood & Brownhill, 2018). The next aspect will be to unveil the factors that contribute to the trend whereby fathers go missing.

There have been increasing cases of missing fathers. This points to the fact that there should be some underlying factors that have contributed to the trend. It will be important for the study to dig deeper in an attempt to understand the reasons why fathers opt to depart their homes leaving female children behind. In an attempt to curb the trend, it is also logical to find out whether there are resources that can be used in helping the fathers to get more involved in the growth and development of their children. Such resources will be dedicated to making fathers adjust and their attitudes, appreciate the fact that their involvement is important for the growth and development of their children, and the various ways through which they can get involved. As such, the project will be premised on the following objectives;

1. By the end of the first three months, there will be adequate information on how the absence of fathers affects the upbringing of their daughters.

2. By the end of the first three months, there would be more insight into the five major factors that contribute to absent fathers.

3. By the end of one year, the researcher would have come up with resources that can help fathers to become more involved in the growth and development of their daughters.

4. By the end of one year, 100 fathers (all the participants in the study) should be in a better position to help/ stand by their daughters in a bid to ensure proper growth and development.

5. Project Logic Model

A logic model is important when it comes to shaping the strategies of the programs at the various phases of its life cycle, i.e., starting from the planning stage of the study to the evaluation level. It is important when it comes to illustrating the approaches that the program will use to the various stakeholders, clarifying and setting the priorities, and the program strategies that will be used (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). It is supposed to shed some light on the indicators that can be used in the evaluation of the program and the evaluation questions that are vital for the same purpose. For the current project, the logic model must be flexible or responsive to the various changes because changes may arise as periodic revisions are made, while at the same time focusing on achieving primary outcomes of the program. The resources that will be needed for the study will include financial aid that will ensure that everything flows seamlessly towards the realization of the project’s goals and objectives. The project will also need some staff that will play a key role in the day-to-day running of the project activities. Other resources that will be required for the project will include stationary as the participants may be required to complete questionnaires, and may also be taken through an educational intervention in order to adjust their attitudes towards fathering girls. Another resource will be personnel. There is a need to have three personnel that will actively participate in gathering data, recruiting participants, and even doing the education intervention. There will also be a need for some space in which all the activities will be taking place. The resources will be tailored towards gathering information that is adequate to be used for decision making and helping a few fathers to bridge the gap that they have created with their daughters, and start helping them.

The outcomes that are anticipated for the study include having a situation where the fathers are willing and able to take full responsibility for the growth and development of their daughters. This will be done by taking them through educational intervention, gathering the resources that are likely to help them, and gathering adequate data that will help such parents in the future. Relevant government agencies should be in a position to tap the information in instilling responsible parenting among fathers. One of the ways to evaluate the effectiveness of the project is through the use of post-intervention questionnaires.

6. Project Description

The project will target fathers who have departed their families for over three years. The period of 3 years will be significant enough in the sense that the father's absence would have already started manifesting itself in the growth and development of the girls. Another selection criterion for the participants will entail the selection of fathers who have at least one daughter. This is because the study is mostly based on the growth and development of girls as opposed to boys. Again, the absent fathers must be physically absent for the entire period, and they must have been disconnected from their families in also ways, i.e., there should not be any meaningful communication or form of contact with their families. The services will be received by fathers who meet this selection criterion.

The fathers will be recruited by contacting their respective families that may give contact information about the whereabouts of the fathers, are they may also avail themselves after combining across posters that will be inviting them for a sensitization seminar or study. Alternatively, there will be the need to track these families through the census statistics by determining the specific families that have absent fathers for the specified period. Contact information for the families will be requested after getting consent from the authorities. The fathers will then be called for the seminar after highlighting the objectives of the study and educational intervention, and the period that they will be required to avail themselves.

The project will take place in two phases, i.e., service components. The first aspect will be gathering data and information that will pave the way for further analysis in an attempt to get an in-depth understanding of the major factors that could have led to a situation where the fathers have to leave their homes. The data will be analyzed in order to come up with conclusions and recommendations, or rather, a call to action for the relevant stakeholders.

The second service category will be an intensive education intervention that will cover various topics such as “the effect of absent fathers on the growth and development of the girl children," "effective parenting," "accessing counseling services and resources" among other topics (Luo, Wang & GAO, 2012). Some of the topics that will be prioritized will depend on the themes emerging from the preliminary analysis of the data. The participants will first be required to go through the data-gathering exercise that will be done through interviews and questionnaires. A week later, they will then be required to take part in a daily education intervention program that will run for 2 hours every day for about six months. However, the effectiveness of the project can only be gauged after one year.

The services will be provided by three qualified staff, i.e., a social psychologist, a reputable leader in the society (who can also be a motivational speaker), and an analyst. The experts are expected to exhibit immense experience to such an extent that they have been able to make a noticeable impact in their respective fields. The following Gantt chart gives a summary of the major activities that will be involved in the project and the timelines within which the activities will take place.