Lifespan- Abandonment from father and the effects it’s causes to children

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Abandonment from Father and the Effects its Causes on Children

Introduction

Over the years, abandonment from fathers has risen, with most fathers making the heartbreaking choice to leave their families. The effect of a father’s abandonment on a child’s life cannot be understated. There are various reasons why fathers decide to abandon their children or leave their families. One of the primary reasons is that maybe during his childhood, he lacked a positive example of a dad in their life who would teach the self-sacrifice and steadfast love required in fatherhood. This can impact their ability and confidence to parent their children and lead to overwhelming fear when experiencing fatherhood (Shirley, 2021). Such factors have increased the number of single-parent homes. Therefore, this paper will focus on abandonment by a father and the effects it causes on children. When a dad decides to leave his family, the children will likely encounter psychological or emotional damage.

Father abandonment has been linked to leaving the mother psychologically and physically to raise the child alone. The father tends to ignore the economic conditions of the mother and housework and does not care about what happens to the children. Some are physically present but do not believe in any responsibility or duty to raise children. They don’t spend time with their children, talk to them or have any concern about how their life is going. This kind of father tends to limit themselves to interaction and focus on paying bills and shouting occasional orders. Fathers abandon their children when they have failed to be perfect parents. The feeling of inadequacy can be overwhelming, thus bringing the feeling that their children can be better without them. Others abandon their children over a failed marriage or relationship. Another primary reason for child abandonment has been financial hardship, poverty, lack of knowledge regarding family planning, lack of resources and services to support the children, or unemployment.

With regards to gathered research, it’s clear that a father’s contribution has a great influence with regard to high social, emotional and cognitive development capabilities and reduced negative behavioral issues. Unfortunately, most the children have experienced the absence of their biological father before reaching their 20s (Livingston, 2014). This has put them at high risk for experiencing internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Recent studies that have focused on the father’s absence in the life of children have indicated that this leads to detrimental effects on children, especially girls. Children abandoned by their fathers display social, emotional, cognitive, and psychological problems and high risks of sexual, criminal, and delinquent behaviors (Kalmijn, 2015). Additionally, children whose fathers have abandoned them have difficulty adjusting to reality. They tend to develop a fear of abandonment which influences their relationships, associations, and bonding. For instance, a girl abandoned by their father is likely to mistrust men or trust them too much, which may lead to encounters of abandonment that they need to overcome.

Self Esteem

Children internalize abandonment, thus experiencing diminishing self-esteem due to father abandonment. Ideally, abandonment can lead to fears that impair an individual’s ability to trust others. This makes it challenging for an individual to feel worthy. For instance, when a father abandons a child, they remove the positive role model in their life. This impacts the confidence and ability of a child to relate with others and thus unable to create close relationships. A child that has been abandoned may feel like a burden or victim, which makes them believe that they share some of the blame, thus quickly leading to low self-esteem (Luo, Wang, and Gao, 2012). Abandoned children may feel that their fathers did not sufficiently value them, thus impacting their self-worth. The feeling of rejection may lead to the fear of being rejected again by those dependent on them, thus damaging their future social encounters and relationships.

Cognitive Impairment

Cognitive impairment in children includes conditions where a child’s adaptive skills and functioning level are significantly below average. Father abandonment leads to cognitive impairment since the child experience long periods of deprivation and severe neglect that impact their cognitive development. Early childhood is increasingly vulnerable for children concerning language, cognitive development, and emotional skills that can lead to challenging moments in a child’s growth and development. The feelings of neglect can cause poor cognitive development, thus social withdrawal, poor impulse control, problems with regulating and coping with emotions, and poor intellectual functioning.

Anxiety

Children whose fathers have abandoned are likely to express fear of being abandoned. Abandonment from the father makes the child grow up feeling unsafe in their world. There is a great fear of loneliness, such as a high degree of worry when left alone. Children tend to develop separation anxiety and worry about being abandoned. A child may develop a separation anxiety disorder, a psychological condition whereby a child has excessive anxiety linked to separation from their father since they have a strong emotional attachment (Luo, Wang, and Gao, 2012). They get worried about being away from another family member, thus becoming nervous and fearful with extreme distress. For instance, a child may become reluctant to leave the house or go to school due to many worries about the safety of their family members. In severe conditions, anxiety can lead to unhealthy coping methods, such as disordered eating, self-harm, withdrawal, aggression, and self-image problems.

Mental health

Abandonment from the fathers is linked with mental health problems such as depression. Mental health issues are among the unfortunate psychological impacts of dealing with abandonment from the father. Ideally, children feel depressed and rejected by the absence of their father. Studies have indicated that most girls abandoned by their fathers probably get into depression. Gobbi et al., (2015) also show that children abandoned by either of their parents at an early stage have high symptoms of depression and anxiety, leading to mental health issues.

Behavioral Problems

Behavioral problems among children can be considered habit disorders, psychosocial disorders, anxiety disorders, and disruptive behavior. Behavioral problems are common among children that have encountered abandonment from their fathers. This is because such behavioral problems reflect a child’s encounter with social stressors, developmental state, and environment. Most of these children are linked with rebellion and defiance since they have frustrations about their life. For instance, a high number of teenagers facing father abandonment engage in drug and alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, crime, and delinquency.

Conclusion

Fathers abandon their children for many reasons, with most walking away and ignoring any efforts to have contact with them. Abandonment from the father has negative effects due to emotional and psychological damage. Abandonment of children by their fathers has been linked to behavioral problems, self-esteem issues, mental health, anxiety, and cognitive impairment, which affect the growth and development of children and their future relationships in adulthood.

References

Gobbi, G., Low, N. C., Dugas, E., Sylvestre, M. P., Contreras, G., & O’Loughlin, J. (2015). The short-term natural course of depressive symptoms and family-related stress in adolescents after separation from father. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 60(10), 417-426.

Kalmijn, M. (2015). How childhood circumstances moderate the long‐term impact of divorce on father-child relationships. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77(4), 921-938.

Livingston, G. (2014). Fewer than half of US kids today live in a “traditional family.” Pew  Research Center: Fact Tank. Retrieved from: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/12/22/less-than-half-of-u-s-kids-today-live-in-a-traditional-family/

Luo, J., Wang, L. G., & Gao, W. B. (2012). The influence of the absence of fathers and the timing of separation on anxiety and self‐esteem of adolescents: A cross‐sectional survey. Child: care, health, and development, 38(5), 723-731.

Shirley, D. (2021). The Long-Term Effects of Abandonment. Available at: https://cptsdfoundation.org/2021/02/25/the-long-term-effects-of-abandonment/