Lost boys report: Young men are in crisis due to fatherlessness

Harley Watson was on a path to what he calls a “gangster” life.

The 17-year-old, from Clacton, in Essex, was a “lost and troubled kid”, having grown up without a dad.

“I was behaving very badly in school and, if I’d carried on, I would almost certainly have been excluded.”

His experience is echoed in a new report, external, which says young men who lack a positive male role model are in crisis.

Fatherlessness has a significant impact on boys’ mental health, education and future prospects, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) report found.

Aged 14, Harley joined Lads Need Dads, a local programme that equips boys with life skills and confidence.

Male mentors work with small groups of eight boys at a time, teaching them about healthy relationships, anger management and what makes a good dad.

Harley says it changed his life. He learned how to take care of himself and “become a better man”.

“Now they are supporting me to join the Army,” he adds. “They’ve bought me the kit and helped me meet the right people. It’s a career path I wouldn’t even have looked into but I’m really excited by it.”