One child in four does not consider their father to be close family, according to a study published today.
More boys view footballers as role models than their fathers and only one child in 10 said they would go to their father first if they had a problem.
Even among traditional families, fathers are much more in the background of children’s lives than their mothers, the research carried shows.
Family breakdown and long working hours mean fathers are simply not around as much as their children would like, say campaigners.
The survey of 1,000 children aged between six and 12 was commissioned by the children’s news programme Newsround to mark its 35th anniversary.
