I went through a lot when I was a kid and I want my story to be an example that,

yes, certain things happen to you when you're a child, but when you're an adult, you make life happen for you.

So it is possible to overcome these circumstances.

When Adam Coleman was eight years old, he was institutionalized after contemplating suicide.

He shares his struggles, and the struggles of so many in America, of growing up without a father.

In his new book, The Children We Left Behind, how Western culture rationalizes family separation

and ignores the pain of child neglect.

Only 60% of children in America live with married biological parents.

Among black children, it's 33%.

There are a lot of people who are afraid of marriage,

afraid of having children, afraid of being alone with the opposite sex

because of their childhood situation.

If we demonstrate a household that is healthy,

then you have more kids who grow up with a good positive image of having children, wanting a

bigger family, of having marriage as their priority. This is American Thought Leaders, and I'm

Janja Kellick. Adam Coleman, such a pleasure to have you on American Thought Leaders.

Thank you for having me.

Adam, as the name of your book suggests, you point out this child abandonment as being,

I guess, the key driver in your mind of some of the worst of the social malaise

that we're experiencing in society. Tell me why you think that.

I think it because I've seen it. I've seen it up close. I've seen it with people who are struggling with drug addiction.

And I've heard their stories of people who end up in prisons, things of that nature.

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