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Journal Article Fathers who abandon their sons challenge sons' capacity to restore self-esteem and create intimacy. The physical and emotional absence of fathers has increased through the 20th century, and most single-parent families are headed by mothers. Therapy for abandoned sons includes grieving and reducing the mystery of abandonment. (Author abstract).
Brief
The rapid development of fathering programs has been accompanied by renewed efforts to define good fathering. Programs to promote good fathering have emerged in complex social environments with limited evaluation of effective practice. This paper will address two major issues that fathering programs face in the 1990s. The first issue is the need for a guiding image of good fathering that can be applied to the diverse set of fathering programs that currently exist. The second issue is the identification of effective practice that moves beyond specific case studies to a more general approach to…
Brief
This brief summarizes key research findings on the relationship between father involvement and child outcomes. As rates of divorce and nonmarital childbearing have increased in recent decades, the percentage of children and fathers who live apart from one another has also increased. Yet our knowledge of how father involvement affects children's well-being in these situations is quite limited, since most research on fathers and children has focused on intact families. This brief summarizes that larger body of research, as well as the relatively small group of studies that consider fathers who…
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Journal Article In a longitudinal study of the effects of early childhood abuse, 92 adolescents who had become parents while under 20 years of age were compared to 297 adolescents who had not become parents during their teenage years. Three hypotheses are examined: that early childhood abuse and neglect are risk factors for subsequent adolescent pregnancy and parenthood; that low self-esteem is related to both early abuse and later adolescent parenthood and may mediate the relationship between them; and that adolescent parenthood is related to high school dropout and to other types of social deviance--…
The passions surrounding the public discourse about the effects of father absence inhibit an objective analysis of the well-being of children in a variety of single-parent situations. This chapter presents data from several national studies about risk factors for children in different living arrangements. The statistics indicate that problems such as dropping out of high school and teen pregnancy exist in two-parent, as well as single parent families. Outcomes also vary according to family characteristics and do not necessarily reflect common assumptions about the disadvantages faced by…
This resource for early childhood programs describes strategies for involving men in the care and education of young children. Based on a study of exemplary programs, the text outlines a process that promotes systemic change by welcoming men, engaging them in the program, planning activities specifically for men, and encouraging continued participation. Program planners are advised to assess the needs of men, conduct outreach activities, and evaluate program achievement. Suggested projects include ice breakers, men's groups, parenting skill training, family events, and recognition programs.…
