The Patriot Post® · Bullying Problem Linked to Lack of Fathers

Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs” fame has another show currently in its second season called “Returning the Favor” in which he highlights people who have committed themselves to making a positive difference in their communities. In a recent episode, Rowe visits Yuma, Arizona, where he meets up with Carlos Flores, a former mixed martial arts fighter, who created and runs a program where he works with children who have been bullied or are bullies themselves, training them to overcome the problem. Flores has had success in helping youth through his program gain confidence and awareness of others.

Rowe notes an all-too-common factor in the lives of those most affected by bullying, both for victims and perpetrators — a lack of a father in the home. Rowe shares the following sobering statistics:

• 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes — 5 times the average. (U.S. Dept. Of Health/Census)
• 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes — 32 times the average.
• 85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes — 20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)
• 80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes — 14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)
• 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes — nine times the average. (National Principals Association Report)
• 
43% of U.S. children live without their father (U.S. Department of Census)

While the Left has essentially attacked the societal importance and significance of the role of fathers and has attempted to replace them with the state, the truth of the innate nature of humanity has proven time and again to frustrate the ideology of leftists and their social engineering. Three decades of research has conclusively determined that children — perhaps especially boys — grow up most healthy and stable in a home with both mom and dad. In fact, it’s not a stretch to argue that the majority of criminal and drug-related problems in society today can be traced back to broken homes where a father is lacking.