Sheilding Youth: How Social Support Transforms the Impact of Father’s Absence on Adolescent’s Extremism

There is less awareness about fatherhood and the impact of fathers on their child’s mental health. Father plays a very important role in infant’s development and behavior. In this study, the descriptive research method was used in order to highlight the adolescent’s behavioral issues due to paternal absence and to see the effects of social support on this relationship. This research study was conducted in District Buner Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. Sample (N = 500) was selected from two types of families as father’s not living families (n=250) and father’s living families (n=250) by following purposive sampling technique. Three valid and reliable instruments, Multidimensional Social Support Scale Urdu version, Extremism and Violence Risk Identification Scale, and Shah & Qureshi Father’s Involvement Inventory (S&Q FII-2022) were used for data collection. Father’s not living research participants were measured by Father’s Absent Interview Guidelines. Mean differences, ‘t’ statistics and regression analysis were run for statistical procedure according to research model. The results show a strong association of father’s absence and adolescent’s extremism. This is also found that social support has strong moderating effects on extremism of those adolescents whose fathers were absent due to abroad jobs, death or divorce. The research study will help about the father’s awareness regarding their absence and its psychological effects on their children. The study will help the families especially fathers in realizing their roles and government authorities in management of adolescent’s psychological problems due to father’s absence.