What kids long for in a dad

STUDY: ABSENCE OF POSITIVE FATHERING IS DAMAGING

- Livhuwani Maphorogo

In drawing attention to International Children's Day and month, the NGO Heartlines is releasing a new report titled, Fathers Matter: Amplifying children's unfiltered perspectives on fatherhood.

It offers insights into how children between the ages of 10 and 16 perceive "good" and "bad" fathers and highlights the impact of father absence on youth behaviours and social dynamics.

Why fathers matter

This new research builds on the formative fatherhood research Heartlines initiated in 2019, expanding the understanding of why many fathers are physically or emotionally absent from their children's lives and the profound impact it has on children.

This research continues to inform the activities of Heartlines' national "Fathers Matter" programme.