Fathers are crucial - Boys listen to men more, says local actor
Published:Sunday | June 17, 2018 | 12:00 AMJason Cross/Gleaner Writer
Financial adviser and popular local actor Clive Duncan is urging fathers to play an active role in the lives of their children.
Duncan was among successful professionals and fathers who brought inspiration to boys at the Rio Cobre Juvenile Correctional Centre in St Catherine yesterday, Father's Day.
"Sometimes the men desert them and mothers struggle with them. The man's presence is critical. I have found, especially with boys, that they don't like listening to females," he said.
"Boys I deal with disrespect their mothers and act as big men. But when the man comes around, these boys humble themselves," he observed.'
Iris Salmon, organiser of the Father's Day initiative and founder of the Youth for Arts and Recreational Development (YARD) Empire, said that she wanted the occasion to mean something special to the boys.
"YARD is using visual and performing arts to impact boys, hoping to turn them around," she said.
Superintendent at the centre, Martin Dryden, applauded YARD Empire for its support, explaining that the activity can help the boys to think of their fathers positively.
"Women have played important roles, but the boys act up because of a lack of strong and positive male figures in their lives."