Dating as an effect of the fatherless phenomenon ?

Indonesia ranks third in the world as a fatherless country. This shows that children in Indonesia lack the role of fathers in their lives. I believe dating is one of the negative effect of the absence of a father figure in a girl's life.

Most people think that dating is a normal occurrence in teenage life and that it is not caused by the impact of something like fatherlessness. Yes, that's true, it doesn't mean that all fatherless individuals will be trapped in dating patterns, because other factors such as education, social environment, and personal resilience also play an important role. But what if they never felt the role of a father in their lives? The attachment and sense of security that children do not get from their fathers can make them very easy to attach to and trust other people (especially to a man who can understand them).

The absence of the father will affect the girls' view of the ideal partner to fill the emotional void. As a result, they tend to look for other men to fulfill this need, who can provide security, comfort and guidance, but it has the potential to make them more vulnerable, and often ends in promiscuity.

Fatherlessness can also influence children to get involved in toxic relationships. Lack of warmth and affection given by the father to his child, can reduce the child's level of confidence and self-esteem when establishing a relationship with her partner. The lack of healthy relationship examples provided by her father and also the lack of awareness of the characteristics of a toxic relationship, can be a reason for children to survive the relationship.

From this I can conclude that
dating as an effect of the fatherless phenomenon can be understood as a form of seeking affection or attention that is not obtained from a father figure. For some individuals who grow up without a father, the emotional and security needs that are usually fulfilled by a father figure are often sought in romantic relationships. Dating, in this case, can be a way for them to seek validation, recognition, or simply a sense of attachment that may have been lacking in childhood.

REFERENSI 

Wahyudi, S., Nurbayani, S., & Abdullah, M. N. A. (2024). Father-Hunger: Dampak Fatherless Pada Perempuan Dewasa Awal Dalam Aspek Hubungan Romantis. Equilibrium: Jurnal Pendidikan, 12(2), 160-172.

Wulandari, H., & Shafarani, M. U. D. (2023). Dampak fatherless terhadap perkembangan anak usia dini. Ceria: Jurnal Program Studi Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 12(1), 1-12.

Mutmainna, N., Ramadhana, N., & Amir, Z. (2023). Fatherless dan Kekerasan Seksual. Journal Psikologi Forensik Indonesia, 3(1).

Putri, B. K. S. M., & Rahmadanti, L. (2023). Fenomena Fatherless dan Dampaknya terhadap Toxic Relationship Pasangan: Kajian Deskriptif melalui Sudut Pandang Remaja. Prosiding Konferensi Mahasiswa Psikologi Indonesia, 4, 1-9.