Daddy's little girl

Abstract

This paper examines the correlation between perceived paternal figure support and hope for future success among 866 African‐American girls, aged 9–19, residing in two South Alabama cities. Data from the 1998 Youth Survey conducted by the Institute for Social Science Research with 1,800 youth residing in low‐income and public housing communities in Mobile and Prichard, Alabama were explored. Overall, it is apparent that girls in this sample need at least low levels of support from their paternal figures to have this support positively impact their level of hope for the future. Hope reflects a person's belief in her ability to achieve certain goals, thus affecting academic achievement, healthy emotional development, and successful transition to adulthood. Implications for social work policy and practice include the need to consider development of programs that support or promote enrichment of paternal figure involvement in the lives of girls who may be identified as at risk for potentially damaging life experiences, further increasing the likelihood of moderate to high levels of hope, thus motivating girls to achieve regardless of their circumstances.