Parental Self-Efficacy and Paternal Involvement in the Context of Political Violence

Abstract

Fathers may serve as critical coping resources for their children in the context of political violence. Nevertheless, their parental characteristics in this context have received scant attention in the literature. The present study examined the relationship between exposure to political violence and parental self-efficacy (PSE). Furthermore, the study examined whether this relationship contributed to paternal involvement. The study included 293 Israeli fathers who were divided into three groups according to their level of exposure to political violence: chronic exposure (n = 88); acute exposure (n = 106); and non-exposure (n = 99). Participants filled out questionnaires about their paternal involvement (Geper-Dor, Sleeping arrangements in the kibbutz and fathers’ involvement, 2004), their general sense of PSE (Johnston and Mash, J Clin Child Psychol 18:167–175, 1989), and their PSE specifically in times of threatened security. The findings indicate that fathers exposed to political violence reported higher levels of PSE in times of threatened security than non-exposed fathers did. PSE contributed to paternal involvement in aspects of concrete and emotional care. The study suggests that PSE is a complex cognitive construct which may vary in accordance with the specific situation the father is confronted with and that PSE has the ability to promote paternal involvement. PSE could therefore be enhanced in preventive intervention programs in the context of political violence.