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Journal Article
Literature in developmental psychology suggests that mothers and fathers both play unique and important roles in their children’s development. However, research investigating the unique contributions and psychological functioning of fathers of youth with developmental disabilities, and the role that fathers play in effective intervention, remains limited. Whereas evidence suggests that parent-mediated interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can lead to increased engagement from parents, and reduced stress and psychopathology commonly experienced by parents of youth with…
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Journal Article
Lower baseline testosterone (T) among men is generally associated with more sympathetic and nurturant responses to infant stimuli. The effect of exposure to infant crying on men’s levels of T, however, is not well understood. The present study aimed to measure men’s T responses to high and low levels of infant crying. Changes in fathers’ (n = 18) and non-fathers’ (n = 28) salivary T levels from baseline were measured in response to caring for an infant simulator programmed to cry often (high-demand condition) or infrequently (low-demand condition) during a 20-min caregiving simulation. Men…
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Journal Article
The article focuses on a review of a research on the problems of teenage fathers and recommendations on public policy and clinical practice concerning the support to adolescent parents. The authors discuss the service needs of teenage fathers such as educational support services, evaluations of services for young adult fathers such as the Texas Fragile Families Initiative (TFFI), and educational activities concerning the prevention of early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STD). (Author abstract)
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Journal Article
Prenatal parenting attitudes and parenting behaviors during infancy and early childhood were used as predictors of attachment in children of adolescent mothers at ages 1 and 5. Seventy-eight adolescent mother - child dyads participated. Data were collected at five time points from the third trimester of pregnancy through the children's 5th year. A high percentage of children exhibited disorganized and insecure attachment during both infancy and early childhood; only 30% were securely attached at 1 year and 41% at 5 years. Quality of maternal interactions and cognitive readiness to parent…
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Journal Article
Based on adolescent mothers' reports, longitudinal patterns of involvement of young, unmarried biological fathers (n = 77) in teenage-mother families using cluster analytic techniques were examined. Approximately one third of fathers maintained high levels of involvement over time, another third demonstrated low involvement at both time points, and the final third started out highly involved at Wave 1 but decreased to low levels of involvement by Wave 2. Multinomial logistic analyses suggest that mothers' positive relationships with both the father and his family predict a greater likelihood…
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This article describes the practical application of research findings from two studies of adolescent parents, both reported in the same issue of Family Relations. The studies identified factors that influence competent parenting among teenagers and examined how those qualities can be enhanced. Self-esteem, scholastic achievement, and commitment to the child were the most significant variables contributing to competent parenting. Practitioners should focus on increasing the adolescent parent's support network and use peer influence to promote socially responsible parenting. Practitioners…
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Journal Article
Factors predicting attendance by 161 adolescents and young adults at a parenting skills program were assessed. Data were collected on participant demographics, intrapersonal variables, social support, attendance goals, and parenting knowledge. Multiple regression analyses revealed four positive predictors-- receipt of AFDC, endorsing goals of meeting other parents, learning how to relax, and number of children; and one negative predictor-- total number of group sessions. Three variables, number of sessions, number of children, and learning to relax, differentiated the highest versus lowest…
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Journal Article
This paper reviews research on adolescent parenthood. Related factors such as social, economic and educational background are examined as well as psychological factors. The study makes extensive comparisons on a variety of issues. However, for a fundamental change to be made in early intercourse and childbearing, such social factors as poverty, unemployment, and racism must be taken into consideration.
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Journal Article
This study explored the lived experience of parenting that may inform individual health practices and behavior of young, ethnic minority, primarily Latino parents, participants in a HIV prevention intervention. Narrative accounts from parents (N = 90) were analyzed to illuminate the impact of parental protectiveness and aspirations for the child. Focus groups (n = 23) were utilized to generate a nuanced understanding of young parenthood. Self-reflective, complex, and multidimensional perspectives on parental protectiveness emerged along themes: (a) "growing up thoughtful," (b) "you gotta…
