Father hunger is a psychological condition that hurts a person’s physical and mental health. This condition occurs when the child is absent or less active in interacting with the father figure.
From TheHopeLine, what is meant by Father Hunger is the emotional pressure felt by a child due to the absence or lack of presence of a father in a child’s life. Also known as “father’s deficit,” this condition can affect a child throughout his life. Not always with biological fathers, lack of a father’s role can also occur when children do not interact positively with adoptive fathers or stepfathers.
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Indonesia ranks 3rd in the world for having the most fatherless countries. Many factors can cause father hunger in a child’s life. Reporting from PsychologyToday, here are some of them:
- Children are born and grow from single parents
- Parents divorce
- A culture that keeps fathers from being involved in the household
- Father passed away
- Father has violent or violent behavior
- Dad has certain addictions, say gambling or alcohol, or drugs.
According to several studies, the impact of father hunger can affect the mental and physical health of children, such as:
- Lack of confidence
- Behavioral problems
- Poor academic performance
- Juvenile delinquency
- Promiscuity and Pregnancy at an early age
- Addictions and Troubled Relationships
- Psychosomatic and Mental health disorders
However, some of the factors mentioned above that cause father hunger are sometimes out of control, such as the death of the father. If the father figure is still alive, there is still an opportunity to improve this situation, so that a positive relationship between the child and the father can be restored. If this is not possible, the negative impact of these psychological problems can be minimized through emotional support from the people around the child.
To avoid various growth and development problems in children, the presence of a father is very necessary. Not only boys, but girls also need their father’s presence. Of course, we all remember the saying that a father is a daughter’s first love.
Being a good father doesn’t mean you have to be Superman or super dad. The easiest way to do this is to spend time, listen to stories and stories from children, and provide warmth through kisses, hugs, or other forms of affection that a child needs.
Source: Kompasiana, CNN Indonesia
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