A multimethod study of father participation in family-based programming (Chapter 8 of Conceptualizing and measuring father involvement.)

This chapter shows how conceptualization of father involvement can affect the design of intervention programs for adjudicated youth. A study involving 78 fathers of at-risk adolescents found fathers who reported using a greater number of past services for their adolescents were more likely to participate in family-based programs, as were fathers who reported poorer family problem-solving abilities, and fathers of adolescents with more severe behavior problems. A follow-up quantitative study of 20 fathers of at-risk adolescents found views on traditional family roles and feelings of inadequacy impacted paternal participation. Methodological issues that arise in the course of multimethod research on paternal participation are discussed. 47 references.