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Journal Article As the male prison population increases, so too does the number of children with fathers in prison. The negative impact of fatherlessness on children has been well documented. While parenting education is often seen as an effective tool to improve the quality of family relationships and foster positive outcomes for children, fathers in prison frequently are ignored or excluded from parenting programs. This mixed method study examined the impact of short term parenting education on fathers in prison who were enrolled in a 3-day parenting class. A simple experimental design was coupled with…
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Journal Article We identify multiple predictors of five types of father involvement in 167 low- to moderate-income two-parent Mexican American families with fifth-grade children. Analyses show that fathers' egalitarian gender attitudes and mothers' education are associated with higher levels of father involvement. Fathers are more involved in monitoring and interacting with children when families place more emphasis on family rituals, they are more involved in supervising children when mothers are employed more hours, and they perform more housework when mothers earn more and the family is under economic…
A study investigated the perceptions of 34 caseworkers and supervisors who participated in five focus group discussions on unwed fathers' involvement in permanency planning. The impact of parental statuses on caseworkers' capacity and inclinations to engage unwed fathers in child welfare permanency planning is examined, as well as how gender, socioeconomic status, child welfare, and family policies and practices collectively shape institutional opportunities and responses to paternal participation among unwed fathers in child welfare services. 35 references. (Author abstract modified)
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Journal Article This article provides the first individual-level estimates of the change over time in the probability of nonresidence for initially resident fathers in the United States. Drawing on the 1968-1997 waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we used discrete-time event history models to compute the probabilities of nonresidence for six 5-year periods. Our sample consists of men (N = 1,388) who are coresident with their biological children at the time of birth. We found that the observed probability of nonresidence doubled over the three decades of the study period, but not linearly. The risk…
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Journal Article Using data from the June 1980 Current Population Survey, Morgan, Lye, and Condran (1988) reported that families with a daughter have a higher divorce risk than families with a son. They attribute this finding to the higher involvement of fathers in raising a son, which in turn promotes marital stability. We investigate the relation between gender composition of children and parents' divorce risk with cross-national data from the Fertility and Family Survey. These data, which cover 16 European countries, Canada, and the United States, do not support a general hypothesis that sons contribute…
Do you desire to unleash the potential in your kids? Do you want them to stand on your shoulders and soar to unfathomable heights? In The Difference a Father Makes, Ed Tandy McGlasson challenges dads to excel in fatherhood and equips them to do so. Using the model of Jesus and God the Father, he contends that setting up goal lines in the lives of children, marking when they enter into adulthood, is a must -- and a father's job does not end there. In a powerful way, he answers the "Yeah, but how?" question every man asks after being stirred to be a good father. Discover the potential you have…
Wild at Heart helped men to rediscover their masculine hearts--to be the men God designed them to be. Now this small book goes a step further, encouraging fathers to pass this insight on to their children. It is not by accident, contends John Eldredge, that little boys dream of being heroes and little girls dream of being rescued by a prince. It is woven into the very fiber of the sexes. Men struggle with this most pivotal role, and Eldredge's writing is the affirmation and encouragement each man needs.Eldredge gives fathers a look inside both themselves and their sons and daughters,…
Do you know whether your child is determined, influencing, soft-hearted, or conscientious? The key to effective parenting is knowing what motivates your child. The information and tools provided in Different Children, Different Needs will take the mystery out of the way you interact with each other. You'll begin to realize things you never understood about the best way to relate to each unique son or daughter. Your children will come to realize how God has designed and gifted them, growing in confidence and finding a sense of belonging. And you'll enjoy the fulfilling parenting experience you…
The result of an invited conference of scholars studying father involvement, this volume reflects on the conceptualization and measurement of father involvement within the academic and policy-making communities. It explores different measurement techniques and cultural influences impacting father involvement. The book begins by describing three of the most popular approaches to the study of father involvement and its impact: the binary approach, studies on the impact of separation and divorce, and interaction among fathers, mothers, and children. Following chapters address: assessing…
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Journal Article This article reports on the initial validation of the Fatherhood Scale (FS), a 64-item instrument designed to measure the type of relationship a male adult had with his father while growing up. The FS was validated using a convenience sample of 311 males. The assessment packet contained a demographic form, the Conflict Tactics Scale (2), Self-Esteem Scale, and the Fatherhood Scale. A series of factor analysis resulted in 13 factors accounting for 75% of the variance. Factors with high correlations that were theoretically related to other factors were combined resulting in nine subscales…
