• Tweet

Picture taken from www.limpehft.blogspot.com

RELATED ARTICLES

• A blot on SA values
• Rising number of orphans
• Plea to adopt and foster kids
• Sad plight of SA's orphans
• From drop-out to academic
• Rwandan orphans find hope in village
• 'Shortage of social workers'
• Mountainview - the area government forgot
• Orphans to move out of car home
• Curse of foreign lovers
• Be a volunteer
• Bleak future for orphaned kids
• Sex pests target orphans
• AIDS patients fight hospital rejections
• 'Diabetes is not a death sentence'

The South African Institute of Race Relations said between 1996 and 2010 the number of children who lived under the same roof as their fathers had decreased by 26%, from 49% to 37%.

"Between 1996 and 2010 the proportion of children in South Africa whose fathers had died, increased by 75%. This points to an increase in male mortality rates, which are partly because of HIV-Aids and an increasing culture of violence among South African men" said an institute report.

"Children who grow up without a father suffer emotionally, intellectually, socially and in terms of behaviour.

"Girls, in particular, suffer from low self-esteem, have higher levels of risky sexual behaviour, have more difficulties forming and maintaining stable sexual relationships.

"They are also more likely to fall pregnant early and out of wedlock, marry early or get divorced.

"Boys who grow up without a father are more likely to engage in over-compensatory masculine behaviour later on in life."

The report also highlighted that: "Another worrying trend, which has in recent months received increasing attention from the media, is the increase in absent but living fathers.

"The proportion of South African children with such fathers increased between 1996 and 2010 from 42% to 47%. This means almost half of all South African children are growing up without their fathers, though their fathers are alive."

Black children are the most affected by this trend, at 51%.

While only 17% of white children have absent fathers, this figure represents an increase of 32% since 1996, and it is the largest increase in all racialgroups.

The number of Indian children with living but absent fathers decreased from 19% in 1996 to 13% in 2010.

A study by the Centre for Social Development in Africa, (CSDA) in conjunction with Sonke Gender Justice, said "negligence", as is commonly perceived, might not be the reason for absentee fathers.

The study interviewed 40 men from Alexandra, Doornkop in Krugersdorp, Devland in Soweto and Tembisa on the East Rand, who had little or no involvement in their children's upbringing.

The study looked at the men's understanding of fatherhood and their perceptions of the causes and consequences of their actions.

One CS DA doctor said the men in the study seemed to be acutely aware of the consequences of their absence.

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Sat May 25 14:34:50 SAST 2013 ::

Dec 18, 2012

SOLUTIONS

But this could not be, because the other day you reported how well zuma's program for spreading antiretroviral was.

And the other day you reported that crime is on a strong decline, The mind boggles, could it be that the anc is lying to us about crime that is dropping and the good program of antiretroviral distribution to gain votes?
Report Abuse

Dec 18, 2012

oldlady12

Solutions, you've lost me. What does absent but living fathers have to do with ARV's?
"decreased by 26% from 49% to 37%"...if this is how stats are calculated, I'm right in not trusting it.
Report Abuse

Dec 18, 2012

oldlady12

Solutions, sorry, I missed the headline.
Report Abuse

Dec 18, 2012

sekhebereshe

i believe most of them are still alive they just dont want to take responsibility...RSA man they like having kids everywhere!
Report Abuse

Dec 18, 2012

Pointman

@Solutions - I hope the government is not lying to us but it is difficult to trust politicians. However note that one set of stats is based on historical info which is why the two sets of stats seem to be diverging.
Report Abuse

Dec 18, 2012

Pointman

Whatever the reason, this is not good news. These kids living without fathers are going to be disadvantaged. However what the stats do touch on is whether the kids are living with step fathers.
Report Abuse

Dec 18, 2012

zuluchick

i feel people need to be more responsible, as a woman if you know your man is cheating leave him otherwise youl find yourself pregnant and infected with the same baby daddy who is nowhere to be found.....

wake up and smell the coffee protect yourselves cos no one else will
Report Abuse

Dec 18, 2012

Voetzek

Ladies must start to be responsible, how you cannot determine if the guy is eating Msonoro
Report Abuse

Dec 18, 2012

Senganga247

sekhebereshe
RSA man they like having kids everywhere!
==========================================
So does the girls like to open their legs to even married men.
Report Abuse

Dec 18, 2012

oldlady12

Voetzek, why must it always be the woman? Don't you think men must also start thinking before they have one night stands and make babies they will never see or support?
Report Abuse

Read all 78 comments