Fathers ‘more protective of girls’
Celebrity culture and fears over social media are making many fathers more protective of their daughters, a UK survey suggests. It also reveals that fathers are taking as much of an interest in their daughter’s education as mothers. Almost half of head...
Celebrity culture and fears over social media are making many fathers more protective of their daughters, a UK survey suggests.
It also reveals that fathers are taking as much of an interest in their daughter’s education as mothers.
Almost half of head teachers (49 per cent) questioned by the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA) said that fathers are now more protective of their daughters than they used to be.
Of these, over a third (39 per cent) said they believed this protectiveness is because social media makes fathers feel less in control.
And a quarter (26 per cent) of heads said they thought it was because fathers are worried about the influence of the media and celebrity culture.
Around 46 per cent of those questioned said fathers were no more protective now, while five per cent said they were less so.
The poll, published ahead of Father’s Day, also reveals that parents are likely to take an equal interest in their daughter’s education.
Nine in 10 of those surveyed said that both parents typically attend parents’ evenings, while around half (51 per cent) said that mothers and fathers pay equal attention to their child’s academic progress.
Alun Jones, chair of the GSA’s membership committee and principal of St Gabriel’s girls’ school in Newbury, said: “Fathers have legitimate concerns about protecting their daughters in a world where young girls – and boys – are subject to all kinds of pressures through the media.
“These are real concerns and the occasional instance of misplaced worry is rare, though of course it does happen. Fathers have a vital role to play in their daughter’s upbringing and it’s good to see them taking such an active and equal interest in their academic progress.”
In November, Dr Helen Wright, last year’s GSA president and headmistress of St Mary’s Calne in Wiltshire, raised concerns about the “easy celebrity” gained by reality TV stars, which can seem appealing to young people lacking a direction in their lives.
The GSA represents private girls’ schools across the UK.