Growing Up Fatherless - York University

The data is clear. Growing up without a father can have significant negative consequences for any child, particularly if you’re a boy, and particularly within our cultural environment. Some 35% of children in the US and Canada do not live with their biological fathers. Many of these kids will not experience a regular, meaningful, positive interaction with a man until they meet their grade 8 math teacher. Fatherless boys are particularly vulnerable to what feminists would describe as “fragile” or “toxic” masculinity, forms of masculinity that are harmful to both those who embody them and the people around them. Why, then, do so many of these same feminists seem so opposed to measures that would promote and reinforce the relationships of sons with their own fathers?
Mentoring programs are promoted as a potential remedy, but shouldn’t we be doing everything we can to prevent the malady itself from occurring in the first place? Karen Straughan.18 03 01.