Compared to other industrialized countries, the United States is a significantly violent nation. The numerous mass shootings, especially those that were in schools are examples of this sad reality. Mass shootings and gang violence have become too common in the US. The cause of these problems may be multi-faceted and complex, but it must be recognized that the plague of fatherlessness has a significant role to play in this crisis.
Statistics and research show that children living in single parent homes have higher rates of substance abuse,[1] dropping out of school, developing behavioral disorders,[2] and suicide.[3] Findings published by the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research, young men growing up without fathers are 279% of fatherless individuals are more likely to carry guns and deal drugs, than young men living with involved fathers. The Journal in Research in Crime and Delinquency reported that the more reliable predictor for violent crime within a community is the pervasiveness of fatherless homes.
In the African American community, almost 60% of black children grow up without their biological father. It cannot be ignored how this can be a factor in the disproportionally high rates of crime, gang involvement, and even poverty amongst black Americans.
Fatherlessness is a predictor of violent activity amongst young men from all racial backgrounds.
Behavioral problems span across all races. Fatherlessness is a predictor of violent activity amongst young men from all racial backgrounds. The truth is a vast majority of mass shooters, of whom are almost exclusively young white men, come from fatherlessness homes.
While this is an incredibly disturbing reality, it’s not surprising. The nuclear family is a fundamental unit of society. There are numerous studies that show how two-parent households are effective predictors of success. It is a blessing to be born and grow up into an intact family, with a mother and father.
According to Dr. Warren Farrell, a contemporary scholar and educator on sociological and gender issues, has argued “when boys’ testosterone is not well-channeled by an involved dad, boys become among the world’s most destructive forces. When boys’ testosterone is well channeled by an involved dad, boys become among the world’s most constructive forces.” In other words, masculinity left unguided and unbound can lead to deadly consequences.
Promoting a culture that values a family structure composed of a mother and father is not an ideal goal, but is actually an empirically grounded solution to at least one of the most significant causes of American gun violence.
The rise of extramarital births and the increasingly high rates of divorce in the country are leaving many children to grow up in households without fathers. Promoting a culture that values a family structure composed of a mother and father is not an ideal goal, but is actually an empirically grounded solution to at least one of the most significant causes of American gun violence. Simply put, United States desperately needs its fathers back.
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