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The phenomenon of absent fathers continues to be one of the major social problems affecting families globally. This study examined the lived experiences of adolescent boys who grow up in absent father families. The objectives of this study were to elucidate the experiences of adolescent boys with absent fathers, to describe the challenges faced by adolescent boys who grow up without a father and to determine their understanding of the role and value of having a father. A qualitative approach was followed for this study. Data were collected from 18 adolescent boys through face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions. The data collected was analysed thematically. The findings showed that adolescent boys regarded fathers as important figures in their lives and their families. The absence of fathers in their total upbringing has some negative ramifications, among others, financial challenges, poor academic progress, alcohol abuse and lack of immediate gender role model.

The father’s involvement in their children’s life is often defined by economical and psychological support, those without adequate financial muscle are often denied 1) parental contact and 2) responsibilities. The noted unjustified perceptions fail to contemplate historic socio-economic and psychosocial factors affecting fathers’ roles and related expectations. Therefore, the objective of this study was aimed at accentuating psychosocial and economic challenges faced by young fathers in assuming parental responsibilities, focusing on South African case studies. The applied methodology was based on ‘non-empirical research design: Systematic Review,’ documentary sources were qualitatively [Purposively] sampled from the search engines such as ‘Google scholar, South African Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) portal, Jstor, Sabinet, and EbcoHost,’ using keywords/phrases related to the subject under research to filter relevant data, restricted to 2003-2022. The inductive Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) analyzed the collected data. The primary finding of this study revealed that [Some] young fathers are faced with parental exclusions owing to the financial instability of compensating and supporting them. Moreover, they also experience psychological distress and resort to criminal activities to find means of supporting their children. The underlined conclusion suggests that society should allow fatherly responsibilities to be catered on children without placing more pressure on them (Fathers’), their financial standards should be respected at all costs. Programs strictly advocating for children’s contact with their non-residential fathers to encourage their [Fathers] positive involvement and focus on children’s needs across South African communities should be urgently staged.