This is pure advertorial.

"When I run workshops on raising boys, I..."

And it follows the classic advertising tradition: first invent a problem (fathers are "missing in action"), then provide a solution (your product).

In support of your product sale, say stuff that is undeniable, but meaningless. For example, "fathers see less of kids after separation and divorce" - erm, possibly, but so too do mothers, do they not, due to the need to share time with the kids between them.

Then generalize like crazy. "Men suffer in their own particular way: sleeplessness, headaches, and depression". Don't bother to provide evidence that this is separation-related - just assert it.

Follow this with more generalization "In many or most examples, there are custody cases. And we've heard that there is a long backlog of custody cases". That's a good one - "many or most". Meaning, we don't actually have a clue, but it sounds impressive.

There's more, of course, in the same vein. All designed to prey on the weak, and part them from some hard-earned money on "workshops" that feed them platitudes such as "we men need to focus more on relationships". Like, that's going to help.

The oddest omission of all, though, is the confession that it has always been this way. Fathers have traditionally been far more absent in family life than present. In both the generation before me, and the one before that, millions of fathers were away - at war, for goodness sake - for years at a time. In Victorian England, children were traditionally seen, but not heard.

I'm not saying that is a good thing, of course. Just that the "problem", as outlined by Mr West, is probably far smaller today than it has ever been in the past.

Ever.

But to be fair, quick-fix snake-oil salesmen have also been around forever.

Yes we fathers are all deficient and need expensive re-educating...

The author oddly returns to Fly In, Fly Out (FIFO) dads again and again. Is that the author's target market?

How about the 95%+ of dads who aren't FIFOs. Or is the author downplaying that 95% because they don't have the well-funded employer who can afford the "workshops on raising boys" that the author appears to be spuiking?

I agree Plantaganet.

95% of fathers wouldn't need any of the author's help anyway, because I think that most of the fathers of our Australian society do a marvelous job raising their children, whether they are with the mothers or not.

It is only the few bitter fathers who haven't moved on from wanting revenge on their ex-partners that let down the side.

Maybe some here should review the male self-harm and suicide numbers before criticising the article.

Since Xmas is nearly upon us again and many dads will not have access to their children,

http://www.dadsindistress.asn.au/www/home/

OTB, I hope you aren't suggesting that all the male suicides and self-harm in this country are linked to being denied access to their children? Because that would be a lie.

By far, alcohol and drug abuse cause the most problems, followed closely by mental health illnesses. All these problems often caused the relationship breakdowns in the first place, and only worsen after the partner leaves them.

In these days of court ordered half and half access to kids following relationship breakdowns, the bulk of the worst affected men are those who have not been allowed access to their kids for a good reason.

Behind every male suicide there are usually at least a few devastated female friends and relatives, so no one can tell me there is some plague of male suicides that no one cares about, because that is just another lie.
We need better mental health facilities and more of them...

Susie, to say half and half is real is a laugh. The hostile environment of the Family Court captured by the Feminist industry are deep in their trenches preventing any meaningful enactment.
It is not worth getting married any more, their are too many Fascist State and private organisations out to crush a Father. Bugger you lot, look after yourselves and no, I will not give you the last life-jacket.