Posted on 01/29/2002 11:25:19 AM PST by tarawa
Edited on 04/22/2004 12:32:27 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Are Fathers' Rights a Factor in Male Suicide?
In the early morning hours of Jan. 7, 43-year-old Derrick K. Miller walked up to a security guard at the entrance to the San Diego Courthouse, where a family court had recently ruled against him on overdue child support.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
For example: According to sociologist Augustine Kposow of the University of California at Riverside, divorce and loss of children is a factor. "As far as the [divorced] man is concerned, he has lost his marriage and lost his children and that can lead to depression and suicide," Kposow advises.
Or not -- we're given no data with which to evaluate his claim.
Likewise, The Australian study's suggested reasons for some of the suicides include "marriage breakdown."
OK, fine. I can see an Australian guy becoming depressed over a divorce. But how does this equate to U.S. Family Courts being a cause for suicide? Also, we're not told whether it explains 1% or 50% of male suicides -- which leads me to believe the actual value is quite small.
Considering the lack of any hard evidence to back up the claims, I have to put this in the "quack" stack.
I'll bow out this time but thank you for the ping. :o)
Yet, the motivation for male suicide remains a matter for speculation because little research has focused on the subject.
I think the point of the article is that there is an apparent pattern and, since no research has been done, only anecdotal evidence can currently be presented. It would be good if a serious study was done in this area. I wouldn't put this in the quack pile just yet. Such studies, if they confirm the premis of the article, may be one way of implementing a balanced approach to family law. The current system seems to be woman get married and pregnant, get divorced, get money for nothing and screw dad in the process.
Yes men should pay some support when the funds are clearly used to support his and his former wife's children. But the responsibilites do not lie solely with the fathers. Those mothers have obligations that are not enforced. And nobody on these threads gives a damn about that.
Pardon the interruption everyone. Now back to those damned fathers that are worthless pigs.
There are too many missing pieces here. For example, how many male suicides are under 21? How many are or have been married? Do Australian studies cross over to the U.S.?
And the big one: does correlation = causation in this case? And if it does, which is the cause and which is effect? I think it's more likely that the mental state that makes a guy prone to suicide makes him more likely to divorce?
IMHO there's no excuse for this Fox News article, except to further a victimological agenda.
I know he had a gun in one hand. But what was in his other hand??? Hmmm, I just wonder if that was part of the causation...
Ask virtually any man that has been through this if he thinks the article may strike a chord in him.
I repeat, any man.
Usually it's the mom that's a motherf#@*ing b!%*# that uses the law to abuse her ex. Some of these men that killed themselves did so when the courts forced them to pay their ex more than they could earn, and their ex with the courts backing refused to allow these men visits with their children.
That happened to the friend of my wife, and since I've lost family members to suicide, I don't exactly excuse people for weaseling out like that.
You make it sound like just an option they took. Just maybe there is something wrong with the system - yes?!
#2: Pardon the interruption everyone. Now back to those damned fathers that are worthless pigs.***
To #1: Absolutely correct!
To #2: ROFLOL!
That temporary problem can run for 24 years. Does that sound temporary to you? One father was recently ordered to pay for his children's college education through the age of 24. Temporary? Come now.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.