Building the Capacities of Young South African Men in Responsible, Loving and Nonviolent Fathering

The absence of many fathers from their children’s lives has been a long-term feature of South Africa and has had profound negative social consequences. It also means that young men grow up without being educated in what it means to be a father. This article reports an action research project which began by exploring the experiences of young men in Durban about being fathered and their attitudes concerning fathering. A training programme in responsible, loving, and nonviolent fathering was devised and carried out. Outcome evaluations were carried out soon after the training and then four years later it is suggested that positive changes in attitudes towards fathering occurred among the trainees.