I would say that it is a broken family. A child needs a good male role model. Of course it is a tragedy if the Dad dies at war or of cancer, but all too many men abandon their kids and at a formative age. Trust me, when your mother is unable to give you connection and your Dad walks out on you and never ever tries to contact you again when you are 10 you are in a broken family. I am not being racist when I point this out. My experiences are no different than many black people. I know what it is like to grow up in an emotional prison like that. It's an all too common thing unfortunately.