Young Fatherhood Research Articles

Young dads' films give advice for better parenting

Online platform sees young fathers produce films to share their experiences and practical advice, while helping to reduce the stigma around young fatherhood

Young fatherhood, masculinities, and structural factors in South Africa.

This paper explores the intricate interplay between young fatherhood, masculinities, and structural factors in South Africa. The country grapples with a complex web of social, economic, and cultural dynamics that shape the experiences of young men's transition into fatherhood. This qualitative study used snowball and purposive sampling techniques. In-depth interviews were undertaken with 24 young biological fathers aged between 18 and 24 years in an informal settlement in Durban (12) and a rural community in Pietermaritzburg (12), KwaZulu-Natal. Four focus-group discussions, in groups of four participants, were conducted with 16 of the participants who took part in the in-depth interviews. Data were analysed thematically on the local constructions of young fatherhood and masculinities and how both were associated with structural factors. Young fatherhood in South Africa is associated with a number of structural vulnerabilities, such as living in communities with high alcohol and drug abuse, low educational attainment, inadequate access to healthcare, unemployment, poverty, and crime. These structural vulnerabilities, deeply entrenched in the country's history and socioeconomic fabric, together with prevailing notions of masculinities, often rooted in hegemonic ideals of dominance and control, intersect with societal expectations of fatherhood, thereby shaping young men's identities, roles, and responsibilities as fathers. The findings suggest young men's involvement during the transition to fatherhood appears multi-determined. To effectively support young fathers and promote family well-being, it is imperative to address the root causes of structural inequalities, challenge rigid norms of masculinities, and foster inclusive policies and programmes that empower young men to embrace their roles as caregivers and agents of change within their families and communities.

Perceptions of gender equality and engaged fatherhood among young fathers: parenthood and the welfare state in Sweden and the UK

This article presents analyses from an international empirical study of young fatherhood in Sweden and the UK to interrogate how welfare contexts and family policies shape young fathers’ views of parenthood. Our analyses demonstrate that despite differences in constructions of young fatherhood, whereby young parenthood is problematised in UK family policy, more so than in Sweden, young fathers in both countries express an encouraging commitment to contemporary cultural imperatives for engaged fatherhood. However, differences in welfare and parental leave systems have a clear influence on the extent to which the young men in the respective countries fulfil their parental commitments and act as local agents of change in the wider social project of gender equality. We argue that while policy processes and discourses in support of young parenthood and gender equality are currently treated as disparate concerns, their articulations with one another may instead be seen as complementary and symbiotic.

The Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic and Lockdown Policies on Young Fathers: Comparative Insights from the UK and Sweden

This article explores the impacts of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown policies on young fathers and their families. We present analyses from a larger programme of qualitative longitudinal research examining young fatherhood in the UK and Sweden to develop a unique international comparative and empirical contribution. The views and experiences of young fathers are examined in the context of two ostensibly different policy approaches during the pandemic. Organised thematically to enable comparison, our findings demonstrate myriad impacts, illustrating heightened precarity in young fathers’ transitions into and through fatherhood linked to restrictions on their engagement and changes to their education and employment trajectories and relational contexts, especially in the UK. We observe how differences in policy approaches before and during the first wave of the pandemic shaped the experiences of young fathers in the respective countries.

Fatherhood in Foster Care: A Scoping Review Spanning 30 Years of Research on Expectant and Parenting Fathers in State Care.

Over the past 30 years, there has been a surge of interest in understanding the experiences and outcomes of expectant and parenting foster youth. Despite the importance of understanding this unique population of foster youth, there remains a lack of research on fathers in foster care. Most studies of expectant and parenting foster youth focus on mothers in care, and studies that have examined fathers in care provide little insight compared to what we know about mothers. Furthermore, existing research on fathers in foster care is limited by underreporting, service engagement issues, lack of meaningful engagement data, and very little information on fathers’ involvement with their children. There is very little published research on the experience of fatherhood in foster care or on related outcomes for fathers in care such as residency with children, father engagement with children, coparental relationship quality, or the health and well-being of their children. While there have been over 60 studies and three reviews on expectant and parenting foster youth spanning roughly 30 years, the articles have primarily focused on empirical findings relating to mothers in foster care. Information on fathers in foster care has received little attention and is restricted to empirical studies. This scoping review aims to fill this gap by examining the available information on fathers in foster care. To this end, our scoping review explores empirical findings and knowledge from practice-, legal-, and policy-related literature related to fathers in foster care from peer-reviewed journal articles, reports, dissertations, white papers, and grey literature published between 1989 and 2021. Findings from 94 sources of evidence on expectant and parenting foster youth suggest that mothers in foster care are consistently the focus of the literature. If fathers in foster care are included in the literature, findings or guidance are often provided in the aggregate (e.g., parents in care). However, when aggregated, literature still focuses on mothers in care, or female pronouns are used to describe the larger expectant or parenting foster youth population. Many of the studies excluded fathers, and the primary exclusion rationale includes a lack of identified fathers in care, unreliable child welfare data on fathers, or high attrition of fathers in parenting services. In terms of information on fathers in foster care by the source of evidence, research papers often provided quantitative descriptions of fathers, practice papers focused on rights of fathers, legal papers centered on paternity establishment or paternal rights, and policy papers largely discussed the need for improved data tracking and interventions for fathers. More research is needed to support fathers in foster care as they transition out of care into early adulthood and young fatherhood.

“I thought, Oh shit, because I was 19.” Discourses and practices on young fatherhood in Denmark

This article presents the voices of 30 young fathers from the first interview-based study in Denmark on young fatherhood. The findings show that men face significant challenges when they become fathers at a young age and that they often feel stigmatised by society. Young fatherhood, however, can also promote social integration and produce forms of empowerment. Unlike most international research on young fatherhood, this study shows that economic circumstances do not play a crucial role in the ability of fathers to gain access to their children. This may be due to support aimed at socially disadvantaged families provided by the state. The results further indicate that early fatherhood should be seen as a transitional process, rather than as an event, with the young father gradually abandoning teenage life and where a delay in the development of the father-child relationship does not necessarily rule out the later emergence of a stable father-child relationship.

Complex young lives: a collective qualitative case study analysis of young fatherhood and breastfeeding.

BackgroundOf all births in Australia, 10 % are to young fathers aged less than 24 years. How young fathers experience any breastfeeding and how this is shaped by their social context is poorly understood. Our aim is to increase understanding of the lived experience of young fathers (aged less than 24 years) and to explore the way they speak about breastfeeding in the context of their lives and parenting.MethodsThis collective case study analysis uses qualitative data from interviews and focus groups with young fathers (aged less than 24 years) and community support staff. The research was undertaken in Tasmania, Australia, March to December 2013.ResultsYoung fathers in our study had complex social and emotional circumstances that meant breastfeeding was not a high priority despite them valuing the health benefits of breastfeeding for their babies. If supported by peers and their community they appear to have a more positive parenting experience.ConclusionBreastfeeding although understood by the young fathers in our study as healthy and desirable is not a priority in their lives. Learning to be a parent and support their partners to breastfeed may be more effectively gained through mentoring and father-to-father localized community based support services.

Introduction: Young Fatherhood: Lived experiences and policy challenges.

The entry of young people into early parenthood has long been regarded as an issue for social policy and for professional practice in the UK and internationally. Despite a steadily falling trend, most notably since 1998, the UK still has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Europe, concentrated in the most socially disadvantaged areas of the country (Office for National Statistics, 2015). The majority of these pregnancies are unplanned, with about half resulting in the birth of a child, although the extent to which this should be a cause for concern is a contested issue (Duncan et al., 2010). Considerable research evidence exists on the experiences of young mothers, with a range of interventions designed to meet their needs. However, young fathers (defined as those under the age of 25, a quarter of whom are estimated to be in their teens) have, until recently, been neglected in both research and policy. Over the past decade, small pockets of research evidence on the circumstances, practices and values of young fathers have begun to coalesce into a fledgling evidence base. However, the notion of 'feckless' young men, who are assumed to be absent, or disinterested in 'being there', or, worse, regarded as a potential risk to their children, continues to hold sway, particularly in popular media and some political discourses (Neale and Davies, 2015).

Risk, Resource, Redemption? The Parenting and Custodial Experiences of Young Offender Fathers.

Drawing on an ESRC funded qualitative longitudinal study of young fatherhood, this article explores the experiences of young offender fathers, the complex intersection of offender and fatherhood pathways for young men and the impact of professional support and tailored intervention programmes on these processes. The article challenges the axiom of young offender fathers as inherently 'risky', and suggests the utility of a dynamic, life course approach to criminal policy and practice that recognises the fluidity of their life journeys, and brings ideas of redemption more centrally into the picture.

Is young fatherhood causally related to midlife mortality? A sibling fixed-effect study in Finland

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that young fatherhood is associated with higher later-life mortality. It is unclear whether the association is credible, in the sense that mortality and young fatherhood appear...

Does Adolescent Gambling Co-occur with Young Fatherhood?

Young fatherhood is associated with various adverse outcomes. This study aims to describe the relationship of adolescent gambling with young fatherhood (by age 20) while adjusting for several young fatherhood antecedents. Data were from 294 males who have been followed for 16 years since entering first grade in nine inner city public schools (86% African Americans, 81% of the original male cohort). Self-reports of impregnation (including age) and gambling were collected during late adolescence. Nelson-Aalen curves and Cox regression models assessed the hazard of young fatherhood among adolescent nongamblers, social gamblers, and problem gamblers. More young fathers than nonfathers reported adolescent social (49.2% vs. 42.5%) and problem gambling (28.3% vs. 13.2%, p < .001). Problem gamblers were the most likely to impregnate someone by age 20, followed by social gamblers, then nongamblers. Problem gambling (aHR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.75, 5.72, p < .001) had the highest increased hazards of young fatherhood, followed by social gambling (aHR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.30, 2.94, p = .001), high school dropout (aHR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.14, 2.70, p = .01), and subsidized lunch status (aHR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.01, 2.38, p = .04). Adolescent male gamblers, particularly problem gamblers, were more likely than their nongambling peers to become fathers by the age of 20. Such a result shows that there is a subpopulation of males who are at high risk for adverse outcomes such as young parenthood and problem behaviors. Only through further studies could the needs of this subpopulation be better assessed so that appropriate assistance could be delivered to better the lives of such individuals.

‘Imagine, just 16 years old and already a dad!’ The construction of young fatherhood on the Internet

Studies exploring young fatherhood have mainly looked at low-income and unemployed young men. The literature is thus focused on fathering at the margins of society and mechanisms of exclusion. This discourse of young, marginal, excluded and often fragile fatherhood is also strongly connected to discourses on young parenthood in general. There is, for example, an ongoing and parallel discussion in many countries on young teen mothers and social exclusion. In general, the discourse on young parenthood has focused to a greater extent on the mother's situation. In this article, we explore young fatherhood. In Sweden a new phenomenon has emerged: young fathers creating blogs and presenting themselves on the Internet. The images of young fatherhood constructed in these blogs are often positive and framed within a discourse of the caring father. Using a narrative approach, the article investigates how these young fathers present their self on the Internet. The results indicate the presence of a caring, present and reflexive young father.

Fathers for good? Exploring the impact of becoming a father on young offenders' desistance from crime

PurposeThis paper's aim is to explore the available evidence on whether becoming a young father can enhance desistance.Design/methodology/approachRecent literature on young fathers in the justice system was reviewed, alongside the major desistance theories. The findings from the review were explored in five semi‐structured interviews with five young fathers under probation supervision.FindingsDespite the correlation between young fatherhood and offending, very little research has been conducted into the impact of young fatherhood on desistance from crime. Overall, there are good indicators that fatherhood can be a motivational “hook” for enhancing desistance.Originality/valueVery little is known about the experience or context of fatherhood amongst young male offenders, nor about the relation between young fatherhood and desistance from crime. This paper fills some of the gaps.

Perinatal conditions and parental age at birth as risk markers for subsequent suicide attempt and suicide: a population based case–control study

Restricted fetal growth and young maternal age have been associated with increased risk of suicidal behaviour later in life. Research investigating the independent and interacting effects of these risk factors with parental mental health and socio-economic status is scarce. A case-control study was effected through record linkage between Swedish registers. Individuals born 1973-1983 who were hospitalized due to a suicide attempt (n = 17,159) or committed suicide (n = 1,407) were matched to ≤10 controls by sex, month and county of birth. Controlling for parental conditions, significantly increased odds ratios (OR) for suicide attempt were found for low birth weight (OR = 1.12, 95 % CI 1.01-1.25), short birth length (OR = 1.15, 95 % CI 1.08-1.22), short and light for gestational age (OR = 1.23, 95 % CI: 1.10-1.38), short but not light for gestational age (OR = 1.18, 95 % CI: 1.09, 1.29), teenage motherhood (OR = 1.66, 95 % CI 1.53-1.80), young fatherhood (OR = 1.33, 95 % CI 1.27-1.39) and multiparity (OR = 1.40, 95 % CI 1.31-1.50). For completed suicide, increased odds ratios were found for low birth weight (OR = 1.65, 95 % CI 1.16-2.35), teenage motherhood (OR = 1.44, 95 % CI 1.09-1.90) and young fatherhood (OR = 1.20, 95 % CI 1.02-1.41). There was a synergy effect between teenage motherhood and parental psychiatric inpatient care with regard to suicide attempt in offspring [synergy index = 1.53 (95 % CI 1.27-1.84)]. Low birth weight and length, and short and light for gestational age may increase the risk of subsequent suicidal behaviour, and more research is needed to investigate underlying mechanisms. Public health implications from this study include measures to improve pre- and perinatal parental mental health, particularly in teenage pregnancies.

Why Young Men in South Africa Plan to Become Teenage Fathers: Implications for the Development of Masculinities within Contexts of Poverty

Drawing on in-depth interviews with young fathers (n=37) aged 14 to 20 in impoverished communities in South Africa, this study focuses on the young men who intentionally planned to have children while still teenagers. It interrogates their reasons for doing so, as well as their responses to their impending fatherhood and reactions after the birth of their child. Reasons such as wish-fulfillment, leaving a legacy, wanting to keep a partner, and wanting to be seen as ‘fashionable’ amongst their peers are discussed. An analysis is provided of the relationship between young fatherhood, poverty and masculinities. Key to the discussion are the interrelated notions of ownership and responsibility, and the ways in which impoverished young men find young fatherhood to be a powerful mediator in contexts where alternative pathways to exhibiting dominant masculinities are scarce.

Recklessness, rescue and responsibility: Young men tell their stories of the transition to fatherhood

Young fatherhood has become a recent focus for concern in contemporary society. Arguably, following on from anxieties regarding teenage pregnancy and young parenting the focus on young fathers is a positive step. Within social work research young fathers' experiences are argued to be under-represented. This article draws on interviews with ten young fathers who, at the time of the interview, were users of social services in the South East of the UK. These ten young men form part of a larger group of 16 interviewed as part of a Doctoral thesis. Through the use of narrative interviews their stories of their transition to fatherhood were collected. One of the significant findings from the research was how all ten young men described a positive move in their self-identity following the birth of their child. Strategies they used in order to do this included drawing on old and new support networks as well as other forms of human and social capital, including professionals from voluntary and statutory agencies. This article, although based on interviews with a small number of young men, draws out wider implications for working with young fathers.

Young Fatherhood and Subsequent Disadvantage in the United Kingdom

Although there has been increasing attention to the importance of fathers and their relationships with their children, few studies have examined young parenthood and its consequences for fathers’ life chances. In recent years, this has begun to change, and research is examining, to a far greater extent, the experiences of young fathers. Using data from a cohort of British men born in 1970, this paper uses a propensity score–matching technique to compare the well‐being of 344 men who reported becoming fathers before the age of 22 with men from similar backgrounds who did not. The findings suggest that selection into young fatherhood is substantial but, for some outcomes, significant differences remain.

Exploring the adolescent and young adult minority fatherhood experience

Exploring the adolescent and young adult minority fatherhood experience

Delinquency and Young Fatherhood Share Some, But Not All, Risk Factors

Delinquency and Young Fatherhood Share Some, But Not All, Risk Factors

The precursors of young fatherhood and its effect on delinquency of teenage males

To investigate the relationship of young fatherhood to delinquency, in terms of precursors and impact of becoming a father on delinquency. The sample consisted of 506 inner-city adolescent males from public schools who were part of a longitudinal study. The independent variables included participants' behaviors, attitudes, demographics, family, peers, and school performance. Young fathers were defined as having become fathers before age 19 years. Two measures of delinquency were used. Odds ratios were calculated, followed by two stepwise logistic regressions. For comparison with matched controls, fathers (n = 62) were matched with nonfathers on age, race, and neighborhood. The prevalence of young fatherhood was 12.3%. Fathers were more than twice as likely to be delinquent than nonfathers. The factors related to young fatherhood were a subset of those for delinquency. In the stepwise logistic regressions, several factors were uniquely related to either delinquency or young fatherhood. Delinquency did not decrease after becoming a father. Young fathers tended to commit more covert-type delinquent acts than their controls. The results indicate that a single theory of problem behavior cannot adequately account for the association between young fatherhood and delinquency.