This Father's Day, cheer responsibility

The absence of fathers in the lives of their children is an enormous problem facing urban communities throughout our country.

And a lot of young men aren't practicing safe sex or abstinence because they don't have fathers in the home to talk about sex.

Many teenaged girls are growing up too fast in households where single mothers, faced with the challenge of raising their children alone, don't spend enough time talking to their daughters about safe sex or abstinence either.

All too often, belly button rings and tongue rings are viewed as fashion accessories and the lines between sex and sex appeal no longer exist.

Young men, who are more prone to act on their hormones and peer pressure from their friends to have sex, often see these stylish trends as an invitation to have sex.

Moreover, young girls who find themselves competing for popularity and the affection of young boys have a difficult time saying no to sex.

Last year, Chicago Public Schools made comprehensive sex education mandatory for sixth through twelfth graders, and although teen pregnancies are on a decrease nationally, there is still a greater risk that fatherless children will eventually follow the same path as their parents.

Fatherlessness is a serious problem in Illinois and more needs to be done to break the cycle of youth growing up without both parents to help rear them.

In a report from the Illinois Council on Responsible Fatherhood released in 2007, many of the state's major agencies were found to have a lack of resources and funding for fatherhood programs, citing a bias in gender programming that further contributes to fatherlessness in all communities especially among the poor.

Why is it that so many black kids grow up in households where fathers are absent?

There are a lot of economic and social answers to that question, but the fact of the matter is single parents account for 28 percent of all households with children, but we all pay the price when families, black or white, don't provide the proper guidance for their children.

Thankfully, state agencies are beginning to finally develop programs that address fatherhood issues.

This Father's Day, let's be thankful for the single fathers who not only provide financial support to their children, but also talk to their teenagers about responsible sex and abstinence.

William J. Booker

Illinois Council on Responsible Fatherhood

Chicago