These Children Need Fathers Too

The absence of fathers puts our children at risk. Being a father isn't easy in today's world, but that doesn't mean we can give up or do it half-heartedly. The importance of fatherhood cannot be overstated. This book tells the story of fathers in our society. Through stories of girls encountered in court, it delivers the weighty message that "these boys need fathers too." Judge Cheon Jong-ho, who has been handling juvenile cases for six years—cases others avoid—earnestly appeals for our society to become fathers to children who have been pushed to the edge due to absent fathers. The author shows us various types of fathers encountered in court: a father who, unable to afford treatment for his son facing blindness, asks for his son to be sent to a juvenile detention center, only to break down crying when his son shouts "I love you, Dad"; a father who regrets seeing his son unable to escape delinquency after the father's own alcohol-dependent violence. Through these stories of juveniles and their fathers from the courtroom, the author emphasizes that fathers must stand upright for children and society to stand upright, while offering clear alternatives for addressing the shadow of "absent fathers" and caring for these children in healthy ways.