REVEREND Dwayne Nelson is calling on Jamaican men to be more present parental figures, following discussions with juveniles at correctional facilities during which 30 per cent of them disclosed that fatherlessness contributed to their incarceration and behavioural challenges.

He said this revelation aligns with previous regional and international studies which found that children were 11 times more likely to commit a criminal offence if they had an absent father.

The Department of Correctional Services chaplain made the call ahead of the world observing Father’s Day on June 21, also stressing the importance of male mentorship for fatherless youth, noting that these children are craving and searching for fatherly figures.

“Fatherlessness is one of the most powerful cross-demographic predictors of juvenile delinquency and future incarceration,” said Reverend Nelson.

The chaplain shared that in counselling sessions with approximately 69 youth, ages 13 to 17, at correctional facilities across the island, conversations surrounding their behaviour issues and negative life choices often led back to the absence of male figures.

“In sessions…they will speak about their mother so then I’ll ask what about their father. And some would just say, ‘I don’t have a father’, ‘My father is not there’, or ‘He’s not playing the role that he is supposed to’. One of the wards commented that if their father were around, they wouldn’t be in this predicament, and they wouldn’t be in the institution.

“Some of them who live with their mother, because there is no father there they went out to commit certain infractions, and they specifically state that, ‘If my father were around I wouldn’t be in this facility,’ ” Reverend Nelson told the Jamaica Observer.

He said that in these talks some boys admitted they turned to criminal activity to provide for their mothers and younger siblings, seeking to fill the void left by an absent father. Many also acknowledged that without a father figure to guide them, they became vulnerable to negative influences and distorted perceptions of manhood.

For girls, he said, the impact often manifests differently. Some shared that the absence of a father figure led them to seek male validation, at times drawing them into relationships and social circles with individuals who exerted negative influences.

The chaplain stressed that while many mothers make an attempt, a mother cannot fully assume the role of a father. He argued that the primary role of a woman within the family is to nurture and provide care, and that attempting to fulfil both parental roles often limits the effectiveness of each.

Drawing on his experience working with juveniles in correctional facilities, Reverend Nelson said he has found many young people to be receptive to positive male role models and eager for guidance from those willing to provide it. He, therefore, urged men — whether fathers or not — who possess positive values and character to step forward and help fill the gap in the lives of vulnerable youth.

“You’ll be able to guide them, you’ll be able to empathise with them, knowing that they do not have the father that they desire, and to help them to know that life doesn’t end here. Especially for the males, you will help them to channel their pain into a more forceful determination so that when they grow up they are going to demonstrate love and care to their child or their children,” he said.

“The role will become easy to guide because there is a sense of ‘I want a father’ in their life, and because of that I haven’t received any reluctance as yet in terms of those who don’t have their father in their life; it’s more receptive in terms of hearing and listening. As a matter of fact, they want you to talk to them as a man — they are longing for that. All hope is not lost,” added Reverend Nelson.

“While they might not say it to everybody, their actions demonstrate it. As I enter, you hear a call, ‘Rev, I want to talk to you,’ and then we facilitate that with a conversation and they begin to pour it out. Even though they may not say it verbally, their actions demonstrate that they really appreciate what is being done…Most of them will come and say, ‘I want a prayer’, or ‘I want you just to pray for me’, or ‘I want a Bible,’ so they respect what is being served to them,” he told the Sunday Observer.

He also pressed fathers to show up in their children’s lives and to be positive influences, quoting American evangelist Billy Graham as he emphasised the role of fathers in society.

“A good father is an unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, but yet still one of the most valuable assets in our society. Even though fathers, as a common observation, receive less visibility and appreciation for the day-to-day world in comparison to mothers, the role of a father is critical for transforming society — and we should continue to do that,” said Nelson.

“The Bible says strengthen the child in the way they ought to be, because when they are old they will not depart from it. The father’s role will play a critical role in helping deter a child from crime and violence and also inspire them to unlock their strengths, so my encouragement to the fathers is to be involved, because their involvement will transform society,” he stressed.

NELSON…fatherlessness is one of the most powerful cross-demographic predictors of juvenile delinquency and future incarceration (Photo: Naphtali Junior)