Theologians would attribute the social decay and spiraling of crime as a result of sin, which is articulated as separation from God. They would argue that the sole solution to the stranglehold of crime is to turn to God and repent.
But as someone versed in psychology, I shall leave it to the experts and take a psychosocial approach to the crime problem. It is imperative that we examine and suggest possible pathways for removing the boot of the criminals on the neck of the citizenry. There is only so far more police recruits, vans, foot patrols and other initiatives can go if we continue to ignore the psychological and social roots of crime.
The lack of fatherly parental presence and guidance is often seen as a key reason for the infection of crime within our society. Men often are defensive to the state of hysteria if a woman would choose to keep her family name post marriage and are often the trumpeters of keeping a lineage alive with the hunger for a male to continue the lineage. But it appears that we are failing in our duty to nurture and care for our offspring as the crime situation continues unabated.
Homes without fathers, or lacking in strong present father figures, have seen children with higher aggression, depression, delinquency, mental health issues and lower economic and educational outcomes. There are deep psychological and emotional impacts of fatherlessness in the modern world such as the self-esteem and identity issues that continue to pervade many of the boys within the society. Often there is an internalization of the rejection and or abandonment of the father figure in their lives, they feel lost and wonder whether they are to blame for the situation. Many reach out to seek validation via aggressive, macho posturing to illustrate their idea of what a man should be.
Fatherless boys often fail to form attachments and become distrustful of authority figures who are often stand byes of the absent father figure who has disappointed them. They often replicate their mistrust and defiance in other relationships and are likely to become socially withdrawn or hostile in those relationships often a symptom of their relationship or lack thereof with their father.
The boys have trouble clearly regulating how they feel in relationships and often lash out into a world which, either they perceive as owing them a better life or was responsible for a failure to create their single parent family. The abandonment that they feel often triggers their desire to rebel and explore their aggression which often leads to delinquency. A path that is often difficult to get off of once they begin.
It is often why many show resentment to the person who stayed, the mother.
Why?
Because their minds often paint a picture that she drove him away.
The lack of a role model who would display the characteristics of masculinity and how being responsible is a trait of a man is often visible in men who grow up without fathers. They adopt unsuitable methods, distorted ideas about masculinity and responsibility. Thus, the boys are open to persuasion from gangs and gang leaders who provide them with the guidance and belonging that they have long desired for
Society often praises men for the simple things that women do. I cannot count the number of times people have termed me, taking care of my daughter, to be babysitting. Or the number of times I have seen a father taking a child to school or at a PTA etc. and attached some supernatural strength to their actions when often we see mothers do the same sans praise.
Is this because fathers are so scarce and their influence waning?
That may be a difficult question to answer.