Having No Dad Affects Black Boys' Self-Esteem

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Having No Dad Affects Black Boys' Self-Esteem
Life with father translates to stronger kids
By Julia McNamee Neenan
HealthSCOUT Reporter

MONDAY, Sept. 18 [2000] (HealthSCOUT) -- Living in a fatherless
family damages a black boy's self-esteem, says a study released today.

"In the black community, there's a slogan, 'Black mothers raise their
daughters and love their sons,' " says one of the study's authors,
Carolyn B. Murray, an associate professor at the University of
California, Riverside. "It's the father who holds that boy
accountable. He has that boy toe the line; he holds the rules and
responsibilities."

But when fathers aren't present in black families, regardless of such
things as family income and education, young boys' self-esteem drops,
the study says. That doesn't appear to happen with young girls in
these families, it says.

What this means for the boys, experts say, can range from their
having problems in school to participating in gangs as part of their
search for male role models.

Read to complete story by choosing "HealthScout & MHN" and then "Fathers" at:
http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/

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