Fathers Of Children Research Articles

Father–Child Contact During Prison and Its Association With Fathers’ Parenting Self-Efficacy

This study examines the association between three forms of father–child contact during incarceration and fathers’ reports of parental self-efficacy. The study’s sample derives from ( n = 1,720) fathers participating in the Multisite Family Study on Incarceration, Partnering, and Parenting (MFS-IP) study. Multivariate ordinary least squares regression models were conducted to examine the study’s hypotheses. Among the contact types, visits had a positive and significant effect on fathers’ views of their parental efficacy after controlling demographic, familial, and carceral characteristics. This study informs practice and policy, demonstrating that contact is essential to family-strengthening services and beneficial for incarcerated fathers and families. Importantly, efforts should be made to make it easier for fathers to have contact with their children.

Experiences of fatherhood in prison: A thematic analysis of differences between fathers in a family approach programme and a comparison group

Various programmes have been implemented in prisons to strengthen parental involvement and parent–child relationships during imprisonment. In-depth insights into such programmes are limited. This qualitative study compared the experiences of two groups of imprisoned fathers in the Netherlands: fathers who participated in a family approach programme ( N = 10) and fathers in a comparison group ( N = 29). Based on a thematic analysis, four key differences were identified between the family approach group and the comparison group. Fathers in the family approach group: (1) described more positive engagement activities in direct father–child interactions, (2) reflected more positively on their fathering role during imprisonment, (3) structurally included participation in the family approach programme in their narratives of how imprisonment affected father–child relationship quality, and (4) more often expressed feelings of uncertainty and caution when discussing family life after imprisonment. The findings of this study are informative for the mechanisms behind prison-based parenting and family relationship programmes and illustrate the potential of these programmes to alleviate the unintended negative impact of imprisonment on parental involvement and family relationships. Based on these findings, recommendations for further research and practice are provided.

Fathers’ mental health and coping strategies: a qualitative study in Mwanza, Tanzania

ObjectivesTo investigate the nature of paternal mental health problems, their causes and the coping strategies used by fathers of young children under the age of 2 years.Design and settingWe conducted...

Penerapan Gaya Penyutradaraan Dengan Penguatan Tokoh Menggunakan Pendekatan Reaslisme Dalam Film Genius Dari Syurga

The film Genius From Heaven tells the story of a child, he is depicted as very depressed about the conflict he is currently facing. The role of a father in children with autism who can educate the public. It is hoped that this process will provide education to the public about autism sufferers, especially regarding their care. Autism sufferers also have various unique characters and sometimes their emotions often change. With a realist approach, it is hoped that this film can depict in real terms the process and struggle experienced by the main character to prove that he has other abilities that his father did not know at all.

Intergenerational and digital solidarity: Associations with depressive symptoms during the COVID‐19 pandemic

AbstractObjectiveWe aimed to explore dyadic latent classes of intergenerational solidarity with digital communication (texting, video call, and social media interaction) among older parent and adult child pairs during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and whether derived dyadic latent classes were associated with older parents' and adult children's depressive symptoms.BackgroundPrevious studies have not considered how digital communication fits with the established intergenerational solidarity paradigm. Consequently, we know little about how the use of digital communication creates new types of intergenerational solidarity between older parents and adult children, and how they are associated with their depressive symptoms during the pandemic.MethodsUsing data from the 2022 survey of the Longitudinal Study of Generations (LSOG), the analysis took a dyadic‐centered approach and applied a three‐step latent class analysis with 271 mother–child and 190 father–child dyads.ResultsDyadic partners were consistent in their relationship evaluations for the three latent classes identified in both mother–child and father–child dyads: tight‐knit traditional (strong solidarity with frequent in‐person contact), distant‐but‐digitally connected (geographically distant but frequent digital contact), and detached (low solidarity). In mother–child dyads, mothers reported significantly fewer depressive symptoms when they were in tight‐knit traditional and distant‐but‐digitally connected relationships, than those in detached relationships. In father–child dyads, adult children reported significantly fewer depressive symptoms when they were in tight‐knit traditional and distant‐but‐digitally connected relationships, than those in detached relationships.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that digital communication was beneficial for older parents' and adult children's psychological well‐being, depending on parents' gender and generational position during the pandemic.

What makes a father: differentiation of unmarried and divorced fathers in the context of custody under the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights

Abstract While marriage has traditionally served as the connective tissue between fathers, mothers, and their children before the law, the increasing commonality of cohabitation-based relationships without marriage has led to many children being born outside of the marriage union. This has complicated the legal understanding of fatherhood in particular, which has traditionally relied on the contractual nature and stability of the marital union to be legally defined and understood. States are often ill-equipped to handle parental separation and child custody in the case of civil unions, and unmarried fathers tend to have fewer venues of legal protection compared to divorced fathers in that regard. The purpose of this article is to identify the legal challenges surrounding unmarried fathers and parental rights in the context of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. It examines the elements of what constitutes legal fatherhood, identifies the main human rights issues surrounding unmarried fathers, and assesses the reasons for legal differentiation between divorced and unmarried fathers. Importantly, conclusions are drawn as to whether and why these differences are justified from a legal perspective. This article contributes to the need for more research in the area of father–child relationships and aims to provide guidance for policy and law-making with regard to unmarried parents in the context of children’s rights.

Rethinking maternal gatekeeping from a life‐course perspective: A study of post‐separation families

AbstractObjectiveThe article examines how maternal gatekeeping practices evolve in the post‐separation trajectory and identifies the main relational and contextual factors shaping these processes over time.BackgroundStudies of maternal gatekeeping have only recently begun to include post‐separation families based on cross‐sectional research designs. This article is theoretically grounded in a life‐course and human agency framework, and it both offers a novel understanding of maternal gatekeeping as a dynamic process and examines its relational embeddedness.MethodsThe data stem from the prospective qualitative study “The multiple paths of lone parenthood,” which has been ongoing in Switzerland for over a decade and includes four waves of semistructured interviews with mothers who have experienced lone parenthood (N = 88 interviews).ResultsMost mothers reported active facilitation practices at the beginning of their trajectory, encouraging the father–child relationship. Subsequently, shifts toward hands‐off or active gate‐closing practices took place over time along with the evolution of relational circumstances, such as the father's involvement or children's autonomy, or by an accumulation of negative experiences.ConclusionThe relationship with the nonresident father creates ongoing moral dilemmas for mothers over the post‐separation trajectory. Indeed, these mothers must navigate social norms that emphasize the importance of ensuring father–child contact while safeguarding the child's well‐being and ensuring that the father complies with visitation arrangements and alimony.ImplicationsProfessional support and legal regulations should consider the moral dilemmas experienced by mothers by establishing measures to relieve separated mothers of the need to take the initiative to obtain the father's compliance with their obligations.

Parental absence during childhood and intergenerational solidarity in adulthood in China

AbstractObjectiveWe aim to examine whether having been separated from parents during childhood influences multiple dimensions of intergenerational solidarity during adulthood.BackgroundIn developing countries, many children experience geographic separation from one or both parents due to parental out‐migration. Previous research has examined the concurrent effects of parental migration on parent–child relationships, but little is known about the long‐term implications of parental absence during childhood for intergenerational relationships in adulthood.MethodOur study used data from the China Family Panel Studies (2010 and 2016) to examine the relationship between mothers' and fathers' absence during childhood and intergenerational solidarity during adulthood. The sample includes adult respondents aged 25–54 with a living mother or father in 2016, generating 8889 respondent‐mother and 7159 respondent‐father dyads. We estimated multilevel regression models predicting emotional, associational, and functional solidarity with the mother and the father during adulthood.ResultsFor both mother and father, the parent's absence during childhood is negatively associated with children's closeness to and frequency of seeing the parent in adulthood. Parental absence during childhood has little impact on the economic and instrumental support of parents in adulthood. A longer duration of parental absence has a stronger detrimental impact on intergenerational solidarity than a shorter duration for both mother–child and father–child relationships. Moreover, one parent's absence during childhood can influence the child's relationship with the other parent during adulthood (a spillover effect).ConclusionParents' absence during childhood has long‐term implications for parent–child relationships during adulthood.

A Marginalised Role in Parenting and Maltreatment Risks—A Qualitative Content Analysis of Fathers in Japan Reflecting on their Parenting Experiences

In Japan, many fathers consider their spouse to be their children’s primary parent while casting themselves in a supporting role. Yet, in the majority of reported child maltreatment cases in Japan, the child’s father is recorded as the perpetrator. This may seem somewhat puzzling, given that primary caregivers are recorded as the perpetrator of maltreatment in other cultures. This study qualitatively analyses the parenting experience of 11 Japanese fathers and their reflections on child maltreatment risks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fathers of pre-school aged children from middle-class families who had no reported history of child maltreatment. Using qualitative content analysis through a process of condensing, coding and categorising, we arrived at the following theme: fathers aspire to be an active parent, while respecting and supporting their spouses, but anxiety and stress trigger impatience and frustration during parenting. The fathers reported that they are more likely to maltreat their children, especially boys, in situations which triggered anxiety and frustration. Anxiety is particularly heightened when they feared public embarrassment. These findings are discussed with reference to the Japanese social and cultural context, and contrasted with previous research into the parenting experiences of Japanese mothers. The findings indicate that fathers may benefit from tailored support programmes which strengthen their self-efficacy before building resilience for the challenging situations they may encounter as fathers.

International Migration of Father and Academic Performance of Children Left Behind: A Case Study of Dir Lower

Migration is global phenomenon. People migrate from one place to other for various reasons such as war, or climate change or similarly for better job opportunities. Many Pakistani Labour people works in the Arab states of Persian Gulf, leaving their families behind. We consider the consequences for their children education, such as absenteeism, lack of participation in the class activities and unsatisfactory grades in subjects like mathematics, science and English. In absence of proper check and balance, labour migrants children prefer gaming over giving more attention to their studies. It is evident from the study that emigration of father has significant impact on leaning abilities and level of concentration in class. In this context, it is evident that stress is major factor which hinders the learning abilities of children of emigrant fathers. It is evident that father emigration is responsible for poor performance in the school. The academic performance such as test performance of children remain poor whose father work abroad particularly, in subjects such as mathematics, science and English.

Major Causes of Cerebral Palsy among the Children of Bangladesh

The most prevalent physical impairment in children is cerebral palsy (CP), although the exact etiology is frequently still a mystery. CP is a diverse collection of clinical symptoms that characterize long-term problems with posture and movement. It is typified by aberrant posture, mobility, and muscular tone, which restricts the affected person's range of activities. The current investigation was conducted to determine the sociodemographic characteristics linked to individuals with cerebral palsy, to investigate the age range most susceptible to the condition, to pinpoint the gender most impacted, and to ascertain the causes and prevalent forms of cerebral palsy in Bangladesh. A total of 100 children with cerebral palsy were selected from the Center for The Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed (CRP) and the outdoor and indoor departments of the Bangladesh Council for Children Welfare (BCCW), Dhaka, for a descriptive cross-sectional study. Out of the 100 children with cerebral palsy, the majority were male. The age range of the maximum percentage of children was 1 to 8 years. The majority of mothers (78%) of children with cerebral palsy had good health. 37% of the children's fathers and 28% of mothers had completed their bachelor's degrees. The majority of mothers, or 93% of them, were housewives. The siblings of the maximum children were all normal or had no disabilities. A maximum of 55% of children had normal deliveries, with no complications occurring during the child's birth. A maximum of 42% of children with cerebral palsy experience postpartum seizures due to birth damage. 45% of newborns suffer from asphyxia. The youngsters had ataxic cerebral palsy, which was the most prevalent kind of the condition. According to the study's findings, the main risk factors in Bangladesh are still infant convulsions, hospital deliveries, birth injuries, and hypoxia.

Who cares about the carers? A call to action on behalf of mothers of disabled children.

This 'perspective' article is an urgent call to action on behalf of mothers (and indeed fathers) of disabled children in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In doing so draws attention to the 'perfect storm' experienced by United Kingdom-based parents of reduced support and increased stress, coupled with the effects of isolation. It also illuminates some of the impact of actions taken, and not taken, during and after the pandemic and the enduring effects for working parent-carers. In doing so I argue that, despite facing these extreme challenges, these parents have been a neglected group from both a policy and research perspective. The call to action therefore extends to society, employers, and to the research community.

The experience of fathers of children hospitalised with advanced heart disease.

There are little reported data on the perspectives of fathers caring for children with chronic conditions. Although survival of children with advanced heart disease has improved, long-term morbidity remains high. This study describes the experience and prognostic awareness of fathers of hospitalised children with advanced heart disease. Cross-sectional survey study of parents caring for children hospitalised with advanced heart disease admitted for ≥ 7 days over a one-year period. One parent per patient completed surveys, resulting in 27 father surveys. Data were analysed using descriptive methods. Nearly all (96%) of the fathers reported understanding their child's prognosis "extremely well" or "well," and 59% felt they were "very prepared" for their child's medical problems. However, 58% of fathers wanted to know more about prognosis, and 22% thought their child's team knew something about prognosis that they did not. Forty-one per cent of fathers did not think that their child would have lifelong limitations, and 32% anticipated normal life expectancies. All 13 fathers who had a clinical discussion of what would happen if their child got sicker found this conversation helpful. Nearly half (43%) of the fathers receiving new prognostic information or changes to treatment course found it "somewhat" or "a little" confusing. Fathers report excellent understanding of their child's illness and a positive experience around expressing their hopes and fears. Despite this, there remain many opportunities to improve communication, prognostic awareness, and participation in informed decision-making of fathers of children hospitalised with advanced heart disease.

“Something Had to Give”: A qualitative study of fathering in the early months of a global pandemic

Sensitized by ecological theory, this qualitative study explored how COVID-19 shaped fathering processes in the United States for fathers of young children. Scholars emphasize the need to understand how sociocultural and economic uncertainty impacts parenting processes. The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity to examine how the environmental press of a global crisis impacts the proximal processes of fathering, which serve as important engines of development. Guided by grounded theory methodology, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 45 fathers of children aged four and younger who lived in the U.S. Data were analyzed using constructivist grounded theory methods. Contextual features of COVID-19 were a form of environmental press that enabled and constrained proximal processes of father-child interactions, interdependence among coparents, and intrapersonal adjustments with stress. Although the pandemic yielded many challenges, fathers’ narratives embodied ideals of engaged fathering that centered on men’s active presence in their children’s lives and reflected processual changes in his context that transformed fathering. Policies, programs, and practitioners can enable fathering proximal processes to accommodate familial needs in caregiving roles of young children, specifically in times of crisis and transition.

Cultural values, parenting and child adjustment in Italy.

The present study examined the association of mothers' and fathers' individualism, collectivism and conformity values with parenting behaviours and child adjustment during middle childhood in an Italian sample. Children (n = 194; 95 from Naples and 99 from Rome; 49% girls) were 10.93 years old (SD = .61) at the time of data collection. Their mothers (n = 194) and fathers (n = 152) also participated. Mother and father reports were collected about parental individualism and collectivism, conformity values, warmth, family obligations expectations and their children's internalising and externalising problems. Child reports were collected about their parents' warmth, psychological control, rules/limit-setting, family obligations expectations and their own internalising and externalising behaviours. Multiple regressions predicted each of the parenting and child adjustment variables from the value variables, controlling for child gender and parent education. Results showed that maternal collectivism was associated with high psychological control, parental collectivism was associated with high expectations regarding children's family obligations and fathers' conformity values were associated with more child internalising behaviours. Overall, the present study shed light on how parents' cultural values are related to some parenting practices and children's internalising problems in Italy.

“You just have to spread it thin”: Perceptions and feeding experiences of Australian fathers of young children living with disadvantage

The role of fathers in feeding is an emerging field within child feeding literature. Fathers have unique contributions to make to family mealtimes and child eating behaviours. However, qualitative research on fathers' experiences is limited, especially in the context of disadvantage. This study explored fathers' perceptions of their roles and feeding practices and their lived experience of disadvantage through a symbolic interactionism lens. Twenty-five Australian fathers of children aged six months to five years who experienced socioeconomic disadvantage participated in semi-structured interviews. Five themes were constructed from reflexive thematic analysis: (i) responsibilities for foodwork are based on strengths, opportunities, and values, (ii) negotiating fatherhood identity from a place of tension to acceptance, (iii) struggling with financial and mental strain, and food insecurity, (iv) managing adversity whist prioritising feeding children, and (v) paternal feeding practices are driven by values, adversity, and emotions. The division of foodwork was contingent on family capability and employment, maternal gatekeeping, paternal attitudes and values, and intergenerational, cultural and gender norms around earning and childrearing. Economic, environmental, and emotional stressors triggered changes to fathers' feeding practices, often contradicting their ideals (e.g., providing alternative meals, using rewards and electronic devices, unstructured settings). Fathers described income and food-based strategies to protect children's food intake, which may involve caregivers forgoing meals. These findings provide insight into fathers' feeding experiences through recognising personal, interpersonal, and systemic enablers and barriers. Promoting optimal feeding practices should include targeted feeding support and broader structural interventions to address inequality. Fathers' experiences as they navigate child mealtime interactions within a context of adversity can be used to inform child feeding interventions to improve child health and development.

FROM SURRENDER STORIES TO PERSISTENCE STORIES: YOUNG GIRLS’ NARRATIVES OF AGENCY AND POWER IN CHILD–PARENT CONFLICTS

This paper examines the dynamics of agency and power as revealed in young girls’ fictional narratives about child–parent conflicts that are caused by incompatibility between the goals of children and parents in everyday family life. The data were collected from 26 girls aged 4 to 6 using the Story Magician’s Play Time method. Narrative analysis yielded five types: mediation and compromise stories, surrender stories, persistence stories, solidarity stories, and standoff stories. In the girls’ stories, agency and power were multifaceted and variable phenomena that were negotiated in a relational context in which the gender of the child and parent characters played an important role. Power relations tended to be narrated as more hierarchical and immutable in child–father conflicts, and more often as negotiated in child–mother conflicts. However, when narrated as deploying unyielding and tactical actions, the child characters were only able to exert power over the parent in girl–mother conflicts. Thus, some stories conveyed a clear, hierarchical generational order while others demonstrated children’s agentic power to reshape adult dominance in child–adult conflicts in diverse ways. The practical implications of the findings are also discussed.

Maternal and paternal insightfulness and reaction to the diagnosis in families of preschoolers with Autism spectrum disorder: associations with observed parental sensitivity and inter-parent interaction

ABSTRACT Sensitivity among parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is based on parental insightfulness and on resolution regarding the child’s diagnosis. This has been supported in studies of mothers, and we examined whether the same is true regarding fathers. Also, we asked whether parents’ Insightfulness and Resolution tap general mentalization and therefore also be expressed in parent-parent interactions. Eighty preschooler boys with ASD and both of their parents participated. As expected, fathers who were more insightful and mothers who were more resolved were more sensitive. Contrary to expectations, no associations were found between fathers’ resolution and mothers’ insightfulness and their sensitivity. Associations were found between parental insightfulness and resolution and positive parent-parent interaction. The findings are the first to demonstrate the insightfulness-sensitivity link among fathers of children with ASD. Also, they suggest that both insightfulness and resolution involve general mentalization that is evident both in parent-child and parent-parent interactions.

Parents’ involvement in their children’s education: narratives from rural Pakistan

ABSTRACT Background Parents’ roles in their children’s education are significant in terms of outcomes for the child. As research on parental involvement in children’s education has often been conducted in high-income countries, there is a deep need for more research on parental involvement in contexts of disadvantage. Purpose Set in the context of socioeconomically disadvantaged communities in rural Pakistan, this study sought to explore parents’ lived experiences of their involvement in their children’s education and gain insight into the barriers they encountered in assisting their children’s learning. Methods A qualitative research design was employed. In total, 12 parents (6 mothers and 6 fathers) of school-age children in rural Pakistan were interviewed about their views on involvement with their children’s education. Data were analysed thematically, using a narrative inquiry approach. Findings Through in-depth analysis of the data, two distinct narratives of parental involvement were identified: (1) a narrative of hope and trust-building, indicating parents’ confidence in state schools and their striving for a better future for their children, and (2) a narrative of dissatisfaction and inequality, reflecting frustration arising from factors including parents’ socioeconomic situations, concerns about schools and the influence of local societal norms. It was evident that, despite hardship, the parents wanted their children to be educated and regarded education as a path to improving prospects. Conclusions The findings broaden understanding of parents’ involvement in their children’s education within socioeconomically disadvantaged rural communities by revealing and highlighting the diverse, often context-related barriers the parents encountered.

Fathers Nutrition Knowledge and Child Feeding Practices Associated with Childhood Overweight and Obesity: A Scoping Review of Literature From 2000 to 2023.

Objective. Childhood overweight/obesity is a serious global public health issue, demanding parental involvement to reverse trends. Despite fathers' crucial parenting roles, research on fathers and childhood overweight/obesity is limited. This scoping review examines the literature on fathers' nutrition knowledge and feeding practices with childhood overweight/obesity. Methods. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and Arksey and O'Malley (2005) framework, multiple databases were searched. Eligible father-child related studies focused on fathers' nutrition knowledge, feeding practices, and childhood overweight/obesity. Results. Of 26 eligible articles, 52% originated from the United States, and 44% focused on father-child dyads. Most studies were cross-sectional (64%) and survey-based (68%). Further, 11.5% assessed fathers' nutrition knowledge, and child feeding practices (53.4%). Conclusion. Literature on fathers' nutrition knowledge and feeding practices concerning childhood overweight/obesity is limited. Scaling-up fathers' inclusion in childhood nutrition research is encouraged for the design of holistic interventions.