JurnalPost.com - The fatherless phenomenon has become a significant issue in child-rearing in Indonesia. This condition does not only describe the physical absence of a father due to divorce, death, or work demands, but can also occur when a father lives with his family without being actively involved in the life and development of his children.
Research by Fajarrini and Umam (2023) in Abata: Journal of Early Childhood Islamic Education discusses the impact of the absence of a father's role on character formation. The study highlights the importance of paternal involvement in the processes of care, education, and emotional development of children.
This issue is also reflected in the results of the 2025 Family Data Update by the Ministry of Population and Family Development (Kemendukbangga/BKKBN). The data indicates that 25.8 percent of children in Indonesia experience fatherlessconditions.
This figure shows that the issue of paternal involvement in parenting remains a challenge that requires attention.
In society, there is still a prevailing view that a father's primary duty is simply to earn a living to meet the family's needs. Patriarchal culture, which positions men as the sole breadwinners, often creates boundaries around the father's role within the family.
Consequently, child-rearing is often considered the sole responsibility of the mother. In fact, when a father is actively involved in caring for, educating, and accompanying his children, such involvement is sometimes viewed as something extraordinary rather than a standard part of parental responsibility.
Yet, a father's presence in a child's life should not be measured solely by his ability to provide material needs.
A Father's Role Does Not End with Financial Responsibility
Koentjaraningrat (1996), in his book Introduction to Anthropology I, discusses the family as a social institution that plays a vital role in providing protection, security, and care to its members.
In family life, both father and mother have the responsibility to support the growth and development of their children. Although the mother is often the figure closest to the child from the beginning of life, this does not mean that the entire burden of parenting should be placed on her.
Fathers also play a crucial role in providing affection, building communication, instilling life values, and serving as role models for their children.
How can a child grow with full self-confidence if the figure who should be providing support is absent during their growth process?
This question is important because parental involvement is not only related to meeting physical needs but also to establishing a sense of security and the child's emotional development.
Children need a family environment that allows them to feel heard, valued, and accepted.
The Impact of Fatherlessness on a Child's Emotional Development
A lack of paternal involvement in parenting can increase the risk of various emotional issues in children.
Children who do not receive adequate emotional support may struggle to recognize, understand, express, and manage their feelings.
This condition can also be linked to anxiety, sadness, low self-esteem, and difficulties in building healthy interpersonal relationships.
Romadhona (2024), in her study on the impact of fatherless conditions on the emotional development of early childhood, highlights the importance of the father figure and family relationships in supporting child development.
A lack of warmth, attention, and appreciation from a father can lead some children to seek recognition and validation from environments outside the family.
For some adolescent girls, the experience of losing emotional closeness with their father can also influence their perspectives and anxieties regarding romantic relationships or marriage in the future.
However, this experience does not occur in every child. The impact varies depending on family conditions, the quality of relationships with caregivers, and the social support received.
Research by Supriadi, Syahputra, and Ali (2024) on 60 adolescent respondents from the GPdI Christian community in Kupang City also found a correlation between fatherless conditions and the spiritual and emotional intelligence of adolescents.
In that study, the fatherless variable explained 26.4 percent of the variation in spiritual intelligence and 28.5 percent of the variation in emotional intelligence among the respondents studied.
These findings indicate that paternal involvement is an aspect that needs attention in adolescent development, although other family and environmental factors also exert influence.
Doesn't a Father Work for the Child's Future?
It cannot be denied that material needs play an important role in the sustainability of family life. Education costs, healthcare, food, and daily necessities require adequate financial support.
Many fathers spend most of their time working to ensure their children have a decent life.
However, is meeting material needs enough to replace a father's emotional presence?
A child may have expensive toys, good educational facilities, or all their basic needs met. Yet, these things cannot always replace simple experiences like talking, playing, and spending time with their father.
Work busyness may limit time together. However, limited time does not mean closing the opportunity for a father to build closeness with his child.
A conversation lasting 15 minutes conducted with full attention can be a meaningful moment for a child. Listening to stories about school activities, asking about the child's feelings, or simply accompanying them while they play are forms of simple involvement.
After finishing work, fathers can also set aside time to accompany children in their studies, assist with daily activities, or engage in family activities.
This presence does not have to be manifested through grand activities or extra spending. The most important thing is the consistency of attention and the quality of the relationship being built.
Even when work demands require a father to live far away, routine communication and involvement in important decisions regarding the child can remain part of parenting responsibilities.
Children Need a Father, Not Just a Breadwinner
The fatherless phenomenon should serve as a reminder that a father's responsibility does not end when the family's financial needs are met.
A father is not just someone who works to pay for education, provide food, or meet household needs. He is also a figure expected to be present to listen, guide, provide protection, and support the child's development.
On the other hand, good parenting requires the cooperation of all family members. This responsibility should not be burdened on just one party.
Society also needs to change its perspective, which views paternal involvement in parenting as something extraordinary. Accompanying children to study, taking them to school, or listening to their complaints is not a form of help to the mother, but part of a father's responsibility.
Ultimately, children do not only need a future prepared through their parents' hard work. They also need presence, attention, and affection throughout their growth and development process.
Because being a father is not just about how much financial support is provided, but about how much his presence can be felt in a child's life.
Author Biography
Alila Laura Margareta is a semester 1 student in the Indonesian Language and Literature Study Program, Faculty of Humanities, Universitas Airlangga.
References
Fajarrini, A., & Umam, A. N. (2023). The Impact of Fatherlessness on Children's Character from an Islamic Perspective. Abata: Journal of Early Childhood Islamic Education, 3(1), 20–28. https://doi.org/10.32665/abata.v3i1.1425
Koentjaraningrat. (1996). Introduction to Anthropology I. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.
Romadhona, A. (2024). The Impact of Fatherlessness on the Emotional Development of Early Childhood. Raden Intan State Islamic University Lampung. https://repository.radenintan.ac.id/34441/1/ARTIKEL%201-2.pdf
Supriadi, E. R., Syahputra, A. W., & Ali, U. (2024). Analysis of the Impact of Fatherlessness on the Spiritual and Emotional Intelligence of Christian Adolescents in the GPdI Region I of Kupang City. Journal of Theological Studies and Christian Religious Education, 5(2), 84–103. https://ojs.sttjaffray.ac.id/jitpk/article/view/978
Ministry of Population and Family Development/BKKBN. (2025). Release of Indonesian Fatherless Data. https://jateng.kemendukbangga.go.id/posts/a5256988-5ba7-4309-92a0-93148a507448-rilis-data-fatherless-indonesia
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