Father-child Relationship Research Articles

In the Name of the Father: A Discussion on (New) Fatherhood, Its Assumptions and Obstacles

Deliberation on the concepts of father and fatherhood and their literal and symbolic meanings makes the starting point of this paper. Furthermore, a short historical overview is combined with selected theories of fatherhood, which serve as a framework for placing the issues regarding modern fatherhood in the appropriate context. That context, it is concluded, rests on the historical interdependence of fatherhood, masculine identity and political power where traditional determinants of masculinity, such as aggressiveness and emotional detachment, represent a major obstacle to the fulfilling and positive father-child relationship. That relationship is partially discussed in relation to the concept of equal parental partnership, implying not only the new forms of fatherhood but the new forms of masculine identity as well. Unfortunately, there are still many obstacles to modern fatherhood, the most important one being gender inequality manifested through traditional male bread-winner and female child-rearer models. Subsequently data is provided on values and practices of Croatian men and women regarding childcare, that were collected and analysed in 2013 as part of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and its survey on family and changing gender roles. The arising conclusion is that although many positive changes have been made the Croatian society has got a long way to go to both equal parenting and gender equality. Also, it is important to note that as a subject of political and legal controversy fatherhood cannot and must not be considered independently of the wider gender issues regarding motherhood, social status of men and women, as well as socio-economic assumptions of both fatherhood and motherhood.

Renegotiating Nonresidential Father–Child Relationships During Emerging Adulthood

Father–child relationships tend to decrease in quality and closeness following parental divorce, yet little is known about how these relationships evolve in response to normative developmental changes in children. We conducted a grounded theory study of how 33 emerging adults maintained or changed their relationships with their nonresidential fathers during the transition to adulthood. In‐depth interviews revealed that some father–child relationships were unchanged by divorce, but most became more distant immediately following parental separation. During emerging adulthood these relationships did not necessarily become closer, but communication often increased and stressful interactions decreased for some, especially when compared to childhood. The findings suggest that normative changes that accompany emerging adulthood (e.g., leaving home, gaining new insight about themselves and their families) may facilitate renewed connections between previously distant nonresidential fathers and children.

Parents’ representations of mother–child and father–child relationships as predictors of early coparenting interactions

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to assess the influence of maternal and paternal representations of mother–child and father–child relationships on coparenting interactions during the first two years of the child’s life. The sample constituted 69 families whose mothers’ and fathers’ representations were assessed when their child was 3, 9, and 18 months old with a self-reported questionnaire. Coparenting support and conflict were assessed in our laboratory with the Lausanne Trilogue Play, a standardized situation of observation. Questionnaires were used to control for variables known to influence coparenting: marital satisfaction and child temperament. Results show that (i) parental representations are stable through time; (ii) both parents tend to see themselves and the other parent as less tolerant as the child gets older; (iii) representations explain coparenting support over and above other variables of influence; and (iv) there is an interaction effect between representations and the child’s gender.

Links Between Adolescents’ Relationships With Peers, Parents, and Their Values in Three Cultural Contexts

The study examined associations among adolescents’ perceived mother-child and father-child relationship quality (intimacy, conflict, and admiration), perceived peer acceptance, and their values (individualism and collectivism) in a sample of 795 Estonian, German, and Russian 15-year-olds. Adolescents from the three cultural contexts differed in terms of their relationships with parents and peers but were similar in valuing both individualism and collectivism highly. Individualistic values were positively linked to adolescents’ peer acceptance in individualistic cultures, whereas collectivistic values of adolescents were positively associated with the quality of their relationships with parents in all cultures. Across cultures, maternal and paternal admiration showed the strongest positive association with peer acceptance of adolescents. Among Estonian adolescents, further associations emerged: higher levels of intimacy with fathers and conflict levels in both mother-child and father-child relationship were related to adolescents’ lower peer acceptance. The results are discussed from a social-cultural perspective.

Establishment of the Relationship Between Fathers and Premature Infants in Neonatal Units.

Parents and their preterm infants (born between 32-37 weeks of gestation) are often overlooked by the healthcare system. And very little attention is given to the relationship parents develop with their infants in the neonatal unit (NNU). Specifically, very few studies focused on fathers and how they establish a relationship with their infants. However, we know that the father-infant relationship is extremely important for their future social development and more. This article presents the results of a qualitative study of the establishment of the father-premature infant relationship in an NNU. The study's theoretical framework was Bell's model of the parent-infant relationship, which encompasses discovery, physical proximity, communication, involvement, and emotional attachment. Ten fathers of premature infants (gestational age: 32-37 weeks) participated in 2 semistructured interviews (1 individual and 1 "in situ," ie, at the infant's bedside) during the first week following the premature birth. The results confirm the emergence of different components of the relationship between fathers and their children from the first days of hospitalization in the NNU. The commitment component is the basis for the development of other components in the relationship with their children. Furthermore, involvement influences the deployment of emotional attachment, discovery, physical proximity, and communication toward premature infants. Similarly, the 5 themes of the model can be seen as forming a dynamic nexus in which each theme influences the others. For neonatal nurses, this model of the early father-child relationship helps the understanding of the deployment of that relationship according to 5 components. Similarly, it provides awareness of the experiences of fathers so that nurses can be better equipped to support and individualize interventions tailored to their specific needs, thus helping them develop and sustain the relationship with their children. This study allows us to better understand fathers' experience regarding the establishment of the relationship to their premature infants born between 32 and 37 weeks of gestation. However, there is little understanding about the early paternal experience and more research on this dyad is necessary in neonatology.

Infant Attachment Moderates Paths From Early Negativity to Preadolescent Outcomes for Children and Parents.

Although infant attachment has been long seen as key for development, its long-term effects may be complex. Attachment may be a catalyst or moderator of future developmental sequelae rather than a source of main effects. In 102 mothers, fathers, and infants, attachment was assessed at 15months; children's negativity (rejection of parental rules and modeling attempts) at 25, 38, 52, and 67months; and developmental outcomes (the child's parent-rated externalizing problems and the parent-child observed relationship quality) at ages 10 and 12. In both mother-child and father-child relationships, children's higher negativity was associated with more detrimental outcomes but only in dyads with formerly insecure infants. Infant insecurity appears to amplify detrimental cascades, whereas infant security appears to defuse such risks.

Relationship Quality Between Older Fathers and Middle-Aged Children: Associations With Both Parties' Subjective Well-Being.

Relationships between fathers and their children are salient to both parties throughout the life course. Yet little is known about how these ties may affect well-being in later life. This study examined the implications of aging fathers' and middle-aged children's perceptions of father-child relationship quality for their own and the other party's well-being. Using a sample of 103 fathers (M = 77.88 years) and their children (M = 49.92 years) drawn from Wave 1 of the Family Exchanges Study, we estimated actor-partner interdependence models to evaluate associations between each party's perceptions of father-child relationship quality and their well-being. Fathers had elevated depressive symptoms when they reported more negative relationships with children. This association was exacerbated for fathers of daughters when daughters reported a highly negative relationship. Fathers had better self-rated health, however, when they reported more positive relationships with daughters. Children had elevated depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction when they reported more negative ties with fathers. Finally, sons had lower depressive symptoms when they reported more positive ties with fathers. Findings suggest that father-child relationship quality has significant implications for the well-being of both aging fathers and middle-aged daughters or sons.

Moving Beyond Fatherhood Involvement: The Association Between Father–Child Relationship Quality and Youth Delinquency Trajectories

The effect of nonresidential father relationship characteristics on delinquency trajectories among low‐income youth (N = 799) was examined using data from the Three Cities Study, a longitudinal study of mothers and their children eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio. Growth curve models were employed to track delinquency trajectories and their rate of growth. Characteristics of father–child relationships (anger–alienation, trust–communication) were specified as predictors of delinquency while controlling for father involvement and family structure. Trust–communication influenced delinquency growth, but the rate of growth slowed as youth aged. Implications for programs, interventions, and policy are explored.

Influences on Father Involvement: Testing for Unique Contributions of Religion

Models that incorporate environmental and contextual influences on parenting offer a promising perspective for understanding fathering. The goal of the present study was to examine the influences of religion on fathers’ roles in the family system, and it addressed two questions: Do specific measures of religion better predict father involvement than global measures? Does religiosity predict levels of father involvement and/or the quality of father–child relationships after accounting for their personality and marital quality? One hundred seventy-four fathers and their 8–14 year old children completed measures of the quantity and quality of fathers’ parenting, religious lives, personality and marital quality. Results indicated that more specific measures of religion were better predictors of father–child relationships than global measures. Fathers who viewed parenting as a sanctified role and identified religion as a source of support were more involved in their children’s lives, even after accounting for their personality and marital quality. These findings call for further research to better understand the interrelations among individual, family, and contextual factors that shape fathers’ involvement in parenting.

Investigating the Relationship between Effective Communication of Spouse and Father—Child Relationship (Test Pattern Causes to Education Parents)

<p class="apa">This research is targeted with the plan of father-child model or effective relationship mediating of spouses or investigating attachment style, personality traits, communication skills and spouses’ sexual satisfaction. Based on this 260 people (father and child) were selected through random sampling method based on share. Participants were tested by relationship between spouses’ model questionnaire, adults’ attachment style, and communication skill, five factors of personality, sexual satisfaction and father-child relationship. The relationship of attachment style, personality traits , communication skills and sexual satisfaction of spouses or the effective relationship of spouses and father-child are clarified through performing structural equation model for test that proposed model was appropriately fitted and father-child relationship is explained and predicted through variables of attachment style, personality traits , communication skills, spouses’ sexual satisfaction and mediating variable of spouses’ effective relationship. A positive and significant relationship related to spouses’ relationship among men accountability, compatibility and communication skills in spousal relationship and a negative and significant relationship is obtained among neuroticism and men avoidant attachment in spousal relationship and there is also positive significant relationship related to father-child relationship among compatibility and negative significant relationship among anxiety attachment and neuroticism of father is obtained in father-child relationship. it is recommended that for improving family members’ relationship, the role and effect kind of effective factors on spouses’ relationship and father-child relationship be paid attention and based on proposed model a modification pattern for present defects in marital and parental context can be suggested.</p>

ANXIETY AND ATTACHMENT TO THE MOTHER IN PRESCHOOLERS RECEIVING PSYCHIATRIC CARE: THE FATHER-CHILD ACTIVATION RELATIONSHIP AS A PROTECTIVE FACTOR.

This 49-family study is the first to explore the father-child relationship in a clinical population of preschoolers (at a tertiary care child psychiatry clinic) and to examine its relation to child anxiety and attachment to the mother. A moderation model of the father-child activation relationship on the relation between attachment to the mother and child anxiety was tested and discussed. Analyses confirmed the expected independence between mother-child attachment and father-child activation as well as the association between mother-child attachment and anxiety. The highest levels of anxiety were found in insecure children, and more specifically, in insecure-ambivalent children and insecure disorganized-controlling children of the caregiving subtype. Hypotheses regarding the relation between anxiety and activation were only partially confirmed. Finally, the activation relationship with the father was shown to have a moderating effect on the relation between attachment to the mother and child anxiety; activation by the father may be considered either a protective or a risk factor. Results for this clinical population of young children are discussed in the light of attachment theory and activation relationship theory. The study's findings have the potential to contribute to the development of preventative, diagnostic, and intervention programs that take both parental figures into account.

Perspectives from Mothers on Child Maintenance and Family Well Being: Policy Implications

Very often mothers are left to bear the social, emotional and financial burdens of parenting when relationships between parents do not work out. Although fathers claim to yearn for better relationships with their children, poor relations with mothers of their children is often cited as the primary reason for their estranged relationships with their children. Building upon an initial research undertaken to ascertain the impact of child support, father child relationships and family well being, this article will present the findings from a survey undertaken with mothers to garner perspectives on child maintenance and family well-being. It will seek to suggest mechanisms which can influence policy for child maintenance and parent child relations when parents are separated with the intent towards the improvement of child and family wellbeing.

Parents’ work-family experiences and children’s problem behaviors: The mediating role of the parent–child relationship.

Studies on the impact of work-family dynamics on both parenting and children's outcomes are scarce. The present study addressed this gap by exploring how parents' negative (conflicting) and positive (enriching) experiencing of work and family roles related to children's internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors through its association with the quality of parent-child relationships. A sample of 317 dual-earner couples with preschool children was used to conduct a dyadic analysis of both within- and cross-dyad influences of parents' work-family experiences on child problem behaviors. Our results indicated that the way parents balance work and family is associated with their parent-child relationships, which in turn is differentially linked with their children's behaviors. We found that mothers' work-family conflict (WFC) contributed to children's externalization difficulties through its detrimental associations with their own and with their partners' parent-child relationship quality. By contrast, mothers' work-family enrichment (WFE) was negatively linked to children's externalization difficulties through its positive link with the mother-child relationship. Fathers' experience of WFC was associated with both children's internalization and externalization difficulties through its negative association with their own father-child relationship quality. In addition, fathers' experience of WFE also linked to children's externalization difficulties, but only indirectly, via its positive association with the quality of their relationship with the child. Further implications of these findings for advancing understanding of the impact of work-family dynamics on intrafamily relationships, as well as for individual and organizational interventions, are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Parent–Child Conflict and Child Depression Through Late Adolescence

Few studies have investigated potential gender differences in the genetic and environmental influences on the prospective associations between parent–child conflict and later depression, a notable gap given substantial gender differences in rates of depression and suggestive evidence of differences in the etiology of depression among females and males. To fill this gap, we evaluated whether the prospective relationship between parent–child conflict and major depressive disorder symptoms varied as a function of parent–child gender composition. A combined twin and adoption sample was used (53% female; 85% European ancestry), containing 1,627 adolescent sibling pairs (789 monozygotic twin pairs, 594 dizygotic/full-biological pairs, 244 genetically unrelated pairs) with assessments at two time points in adolescence (approximate ages 15 and 18). Prospective associations between parent–child conflict and subsequent adolescent depression were explained predominately through common genetic influences for mother–daughter and mother–son pairs but less so for father–daughter and father–son pairs. Results support the notion that processes of gene–environment correlation involved in the prospective associations between parent–child conflict, and later adolescent depression appear to be less relevant to father–child relationships in comparison to mother–child relationships. Notably, results did not show that parent–child conflict was more relevant to the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) for girls than boys; gender differences in depression do not appear to be due to differences in the associations between parent–child conflict and child depression.

Marital violence and coparenting quality after separation.

Research has identified multiple predictors of coparenting quality, but few studies have investigated how intimate partner violence (IPV) affects divorcing couples' coparenting relationships. We addressed this question in a sample of 154 mothers with different marital IPV experiences. Mothers were recruited within 4 months of a divorce filing and completed two interviews 3 months apart. At Time 1, mothers reported on violence and coercive control during marriage, and postseparation behavioral (e.g., parental communication), emotional (e.g., anger), and intrusion (e.g., harassment) dynamics; at Time 2, they reported on coparenting quality (i.e., levels of support and conflict). In the overall sample, divorce and violence variables independently predicted coparenting quality. Mothers were then classified into three groups: no violence (NV; n = 74), situational couple violence (SCV; n = 46), or coercive controlling violence (CCV; n = 34). Of the 3, coparenting quality was lowest in the CCV group. While the SCV group was similar to the NV group on most divorce-related variables, the CCV group reported more hostility at separation and placed less importance on father-child relationships. Finally, patterns of association between study variables and coparenting quality showed some parallels between the SCV and NV groups. For CCV, postseparation harassment and fear were negatively associated with coparenting quality. Findings contribute to understanding predictors of coparenting quality and support the need for individualized assessments of divorce cases with attention to IPV dynamics.

Children’s contact with their imprisoned fathers and the father–child relationship following release

This article investigates children’s contact with their imprisoned fathers and the influence on their relationships following release. It is based on data from a mixed-methods prospective longitudinal study of 45 children (aged four to 18) in England whose fathers had played an active role in their lives prior to the prison sentence. The study found that face-to-face contact and telephone calls correlated significantly with the father–child relationship after the father’s release, as reported by both parents. Written contact played less of a role. The longitudinal correlations remained significant after controlling for the level of the father’s involvement with his children before imprisonment. The quantitative findings were supported by qualitative data from the children, fathers and mothers, which illustrated how contact supported the father–child relationship through the facilitation of familiar interactions (physical comfort, emotional support, discipline, guidance) even if in a limited and altered form.

Parent-child relationship and behavior problems in children with ADHD

Objectives: Previous studies have examined the effect of parent–child relationships on conduct problems, but rarely are the mother–child and father–child relationships studied independently. The current study examined parent–child relationships and their connection to comorbid behaviors in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). More specifically, this study explored the mother–child and father–child relationship in children with ADHD, with an explicit focus on the aspects of the parent–child relationship that are related to more positive behavioral outcomes.Methods: A sample of 74 children with ADHD (aged 8–11 years) and their mothers (n = 74) and fathers (n = 37) participated in the current study and completed a variety of parenting and behavioral measures. A number of relationship factors, including parent- and child-reported levels of attachment were examined in connection to parental ratings of behavioral outcomes such as defiance, aggression, and conduct problems.Results: Results indicated that different aspects of the parent–child relationship for mothers and fathers were related to ratings of behavioral problems. Relational frustration was found to be a consistent predictor of negative ratings of behavior for both parents, while involvement was a predictor of more positive ratings of behavior for fathers only.Conclusions: A better understanding of the specific aspects of the mother–child and father–child relationship may play a role in helping to understand the link between parent–child relationships and behavioral concerns in children with ADHD. Implications for practice are highlighted with a particular emphasis on strengthening the parent–child bond in families with children with ADHD.

Socio-demographic and family determinants of emotional competence of high school students in Hong Kong: a 6-year longitudinal study

AbstractTo understand adolescent development in the Chinese context, developmental trajectories of adolescent emotional competence over time and the related socio-demographic and family determinants were examined in a 6-year longitudinal study. Over six waves of data collection, students were invited to complete a questionnaire measuring emotional competence, paternal and maternal control, father-child and mother-child relationship, family functioning and socio-demographic characteristics. Results showed that adolescent emotional competence showed a linear increase across time. At the initial stage, gender, paternal and maternal control, father-child and mother-child relationship and family functioning influenced adolescent emotional competence. Over time, maternal control, mother-child relationship and family functioning predicted changes in the trajectory of adolescent emotional competence. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Postawy ojcowskie a zachowania agresywne młodzieży

This study focuses on analysing the correlations between how young people perceive the upbringing attitudes of their father and the degree of their proneness to react with aggression in various social situations. This research problem was the basis for describing the role of the father in shaping the personality and behaviour of children (sons and daughters), and the impact of the upbringing attitudes of the father on aggressive behaviour among adolescents. A study based on a group of 123 middle school students has confirmed that such paternal attitudes as inconsistency and unfounded excessive demands underlie the inappropriate behaviour of sons and daughters, including verbal and indirect aggression. The correlations described in the analysis between the perception of the upbringing attitudes of fathers and the intensity of the aggressive behaviour of their sons and daughters have fully confirmed the directions and interdependencies in the father-child relations which were described and analysed in studies conducted in the 1960s.

Attachment in middle childhood: predictors, correlates, and implications for adaptation

ABSTRACTMiddle childhood is a relative lacuna in behavioral attachment research. We examined antecedents, correlates, and implications of parent–child attachment at age 10 in a longitudinal study of community families from a Midwestern US state (N = 102, mothers, fathers, and children). Dimensions of security, avoidance, ambivalence, and disorganization of children’s attachment to each parent were observed in lengthy naturalistic interactions and assessed using Iowa Attachment Behavioral Coding (IABC). IABC scores were meaningfully associated with history of parental responsiveness (7–80 months) and with earlier and concurrent attachment security, assessed with other established instruments (parent- and observer-rated Attachment Q-Set at 25 months, children’s reports at age 8 and 10). Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that the overall history of responsive care was meaningfully associated with Security, Avoidance, and Disorganization at age 10, in both mother–child and father–child relationships, and that most recent care uniquely predicted Security. IABC scores were also meaningfully related to a broad range of measures of child adaptation at ages 10–12. Cumulative history of children’s security from infancy to middle childhood, integrating measures across relationships and methodologies, also predicted child adaptation at ages 10–12.