If you are a mother raising a son without a father, or a father who is no longer in the home with his son, this investigative book was written for you. Did you know there are 5 major diseases and ailments that your son is more likely to acquire without his father (or a suitable male role model) in his life? Did you know there are 4 characteristics that adult sons without fathers possess that put them at a disadvantage in developing relationships? Did you know that 70 percent of the juveniles in state reform institutions nationwide grew up in father-absent homes? That percentage is an average and varies from state to state, but it does paint a disturbing picture of the overall situation. Wisconsin has one of the highest percentages of children from father-absent homes in its juvenile detention centers, an astonishing 87 percent. Texas is close behind, with 85 percent of its youthful offenders coming from fatherless homes. When individual crimes are broken down into percentages linked to father-absent homes, the figures become even more disturbing: 72 percent of adolescent murderers, 60 percent of rapists, and 70 percent of long-term prisoners grew up in father-absent homes. The authors believe most mothers possess the skills necessary to raise healthy sons, but fail because they do not have the necessary knowledge to apply those skills. They can overcome That deficient with effective parenting tailored to their sons' needs. The authors are convinced that most mothers want to do what is right for their sons, and if that does not always occur, it is usually because they do not always have the right information at their fingertips. Specifically, this book was written for: - Single mothers who are raising sons without a father - Fathers of sons who are no longer in the home - Married parents contemplating divorce - Mothers with sons who have remarried - Lesbian mothers who are raising a son - Adoptive parents who are raising a son Sons who grow up without fathers have different needs, different experiences, and different life expectations from sons who grow up with fathers, and those differences begin in childhood and continue throughout life. Sons with fathers, absent physical or emotional abuse in the family, usually grow up to consider the world to be a friendly place with potential for great good. Without special parenting by their mothers, sons without fathers invariably see the world as an unfriendly place with potential for great harm.