Experiences of fatherhood among men who were sexually abused in childhood

BackgroundFatherhood is a complex psychological process, which is shaped at a profound level by reflections on past childhood memories and parenting experienced in childhood. Fathers who were sexually abused in childhood may experience particular challenges for their fathering identity and parenting role.ObjectiveThis qualitative study explored the experiences of fatherhood for men who were sexually abused in childhood and how they perceived themselves in the fathering role.Participants and SettingEleven participants were recruited to the study from three therapy services for adult survivors of abuse in the Republic of Ireland.MethodsData collection comprised face to face semi-structured interviews, which were audio recorded and subsequently transcribed verbatim. Data analysis drew on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and two superordinate themes with associated subthemes were identified.ResultsParticipants’ experience of childhood sexual abuse provided a lens through which they experienced fatherhood and themselves in a fathering role. Fatherhood influenced participants to confront unintegrated aspects of the trauma they experienced in childhood, which manifested in hypervigilance with regard to their children’s safety and doubt that they were good enough fathers. However, fatherhood also offered an opportunity to heal. This occurred through striving to provide a better father-child relationship and through connection in restorative relationships, including the therapeutic relationship.ConclusionFatherhood was seen as a potential resource for positive change and can influence long held internal working models of the self and others.     

Fatherhood in the twenty-first century

The twentieth century has been characterized by four important social trends that have fundamentally changed the social cultural context in which children develop: women's increased labor force participation, increased absence of nonresidential fathers in the lives of their children, increased involvement of fathers in intact families, and increased cultural diversity in the U.S.. In this essay, we discuss how these trends are changing the nature of father involvement and family life, and in turn affecting children's and fathers' developmental trajectories. We end with an eye toward the twenty-first century by examining how the children of today will construct their expectations about the roles of fathers and mothers as they become the parents of tomorrow. This life-span approach to fatherhood considers the broader sociohistorical context in which fatherhood develops, and emphasizes the urgent need to consider mothers, fathers, and family structure in future research as we seek to understand and model the effects of parenting on children's development.     

Advancing Research and Measurement on Fathering and Children's Development

Fathers are more than social accidents. Research has demonstrated that fathers matter to children's development. Despite noted progress, challenges remain on how best to conceptualize and assess fathering and father–child relationships. The current monograph is the result of an SRCD-sponsored meeting of fatherhood scholars brought together to discuss these challenges and make recommendations for best practices for incorporating fathers in studies on parenting and children's development. The first aim of this monograph was to provide a brief update on the current state of research on fathering and to lay out a developmental ecological systems perspective as a conceptual framework for understanding the different spaces fathers inhabit in their children's lives. Because there is wide variability in fathers’ roles, the ecological systems perspective situates fathers, mothers, children, and other caregivers within an evolving network of interrelated social relationships in which children and their parents change over time and space (e.g., residence). The second aim was to present examples of empirical studies conducted by members of the international working group that highlighted different methods, data collection, and statistical analyses used to capture the variability in father–child relationships. The monograph ends with a commentary that elaborates on the ecological systems framework with a discussion of the broader macrosystem and social-contextual influences that impinge on fathers and their children. The collection of articles contributes to research on father–child relationships by advancing theory and presenting varied methods and analysis strategies that assist in understanding the father–child relationship and its impact on child development.     

Challenging the Stereotypes of Mexican American Fathers

This critical review presents studies of Mexican American fathers in the United Sates to provide researchers with an understanding of contemporary fatherhood. It describes the myths that cause methodological and conceptual problems in interpreting the results of studies on Mexican American fathers. Several common challenges and limitations in those studies are identified and discussed, such as conflicting cultural perceptions, traditional and contemporary perceptions, and social stereotyping of the Mexican American fathers’ family roles. This review also provides guidelines for future research and practical applications on Mexican American fathers’ involvement in their children’s education. In doing this, it contributes to an emerging understanding of the complexity of Mexican American fathering.     

Fathers’ influences on children’s development: The evidence from two-parent families

Although it is often assumed that men have an important influence on their children’s development, the supportive evidence can be difficult to locate and summarize. In this paper, we analyse the evidence with respect to four emergent themes. First, men often appear to interact with their children less sensitively than mothers do, and many children thus appear to form closer attachments to their mothers than to their fathers. Second, the data also indicate that fathers may play specific and important roles, with men in some cultures having clearly defined roles as playmates to their children. Third, paternal play styles predict later socio-emotional development while paternal involvement seems to predict adult adjustment better than maternal involvement does. Such evidence suggests, fourth, that we need appropriate measures of fatherhood that are not simply borrowed from the study of motherhood.     

Stress and Social Support in Fathers and Mothers of Young Children with and without Disabilities

This study compared perceived stress and social support in fathers and mothers of children with and without disabilities. The sample consisted of 15 families with special needs children and 15 with children with no known handicapping conditions. The Parent Stress Index and a parental questionnaire were used. Findings indicated higher perceived stress in families with special needs children. Within these families no significant differences were found between fathers' and mothers' perceived stress. Significant negative correlations were found between families' stress and support received from fiends and relatives. Negative correlations were found for mothers' stress in Child Domain and support from the community. Implications include planning for active engagement of fathers in all areas of service delivery in early intervention programs, including encouragement for more participation in programming; opening a direct line of communication through designing tailored workshops, support groups and counseling; recognizing fathers' strengths beyond their traditional roles; and viewing them as an additional emotional source of support for mothers.     

Fathers and mothers at play with their 2- and 3-year-olds: contributions to language and cognitive development

Father-child and mother-child engagements were examined longitudinally in relation to children's language and cognitive development at 24 and 36 months. The study involved a racially/ethnically diverse sample of low-income, resident fathers (and their partners) from the National Early Head Start evaluation study (n=290). Father-child and mother-child engagements were videotaped for 10 min at home during semistructured free play, and children's language and cognitive status were assessed at both ages. Fathers' and mothers' supportive parenting independently predicted children's outcomes after covarying significant demographic factors. Moreover, fathers' education and income were uniquely associated with child measures, and fathers' education consistently predicted the quality of mother-child engagements. Findings suggest direct and indirect effects of fathering on child development.     

Attributions and Attitudes of Mothers and Fathers in Sweden

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined mean level similarities and differences as well as correlations between mothers' and fathers' attributions regarding successes and failures in caregiving situations and progressive versus authoritarian attitudes. DESIGN: Interviews were conducted with both mothers and fathers in 77 Swedish families. RESULTS: Fathers reported higher adult-controlled failure and child-controlled failure attributions than did mothers; these differences remained significant after controlling for parents' age, education, and possible social desirability bias. Significant positive correlations were found for mothers' and fathers' progressive attitudes, authoritarian attitudes, and modernity of attitudes after controlling for parents' age, education, and possible social desirability bias. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that in Sweden fathers are more likely to attribute failures in caregiving situations both to themselves and to children than are mothers and that there is moderate concordance between fathers and mothers within the same family in progressive and authoritarian parenting attitudes.     

Prevention of fatherhood disorders — Accompanying early father-child interaction in day-care centers

Over the last fifteen years, increasing numbers of fathers have been attending medical or day-care centers for young children, traditionally “reserved” for mothers and babies. Thus the professionals who work there are able to take an active part in the “co-construction of the fathers” by accompanying their emerging fatherhood. The Research-Action-Training approach used in partnership with the public health service (“Mother and Child Protection” in Paris) has proven to be a particularly interesting tool for modifying the routine found in day-care centers. Through the transfer of knowledge on fatherhood processes and new triadic models, it has led to improvements in the manner fathers are welcome but also babies and the whole family.     

African American Father Involvement and Preschool Children's School Readiness

A developmental ecological model was used to identify child attributes, father characteristics, and familial factors associated with multidimensional father involvement with preschool children enrolled in Head Start. The relations between father involvement and children's school readiness were also investigated. Eighty-five African American fathers and father figures were surveyed about their involvement in child care, home-based educational and school-based educational activities. Children's school readiness competencies were evaluated via teacher report or direct assessment. Father involvement in child care and home-based educational activities were predicted by different contextual factors and child attributes. Fathers were more involved in child care activities when they lived in a child's home and when a child was highly emotional. Fathers who perceived the existence of a strong parenting alliance reported more involvement in home-based educational activities. Father involvement in child care and home-based educational activities was associated with higher levels of children's emotion regulation. Findings are consistent with a contextual, multidimensional perspective of African American fathering and hold policy implications for fatherhood initiatives in the early childhood education field. Efforts to increase father involvement may be most effective when addressing the multitude of influences on fathering behavior and focusing on father-child activities that occur outside of the preschool setting.     

African American Father Involvement and Preschool Children's School Readiness

A developmental ecological model was used to identify child attributes, father characteristics, and familial factors associated with multidimensional father involvement with preschool children enrolled in Head Start. The relations between father involvement and children's school readiness were also investigated. Eighty-five African American fathers and father figures were surveyed about their involvement in child care, home-based educational and school-based educational activities. Children's school readiness competencies were evaluated via teacher report or direct assessment. Father involvement in child care and home-based educational activities were predicted by different contextual factors and child attributes. Fathers were more involved in child care activities when they lived in a child's home and when a child was highly emotional. Fathers who perceived the existence of a strong parenting alliance reported more involvement in home-based educational activities. Father involvement in child care and home-based educational activities was associated with higher levels of children's emotion regulation. Findings are consistent with a contextual, multidimensional perspective of African American fathering and hold policy implications for fatherhood initiatives in the early childhood education field. Efforts to increase father involvement may be most effective when addressing the multitude of influences on fathering behavior and focusing on father-child activities that occur outside of the preschool setting.     

Involved fatherhood? Exploring the educational work of middle‐class men

The present paper explores middle‐class fathers’ educational work by studying how they and their partners are involved in their children’s education at home, in school, and how they investigate school options and make decisions about educational issues. Drawing on data from an ethnographic study of 30 dual‐earner couples in the Greater Los Angeles area, this article analyses how fathers position themselves in relation to discourses on parental involvement in education. In order to demonstrate the variety of ways fathers are involved three case studies are presented. It is illustrated how the men, by drawing on a discourse on involved fatherhood, position themselves in line with an ideal of parental involvement in education. Fathers who are doing less educational work than their spouses offer accounts for not taking a greater educational responsibility by drawing on a breadwinner discourse or by depicting mothers as gatekeepers of father involvement.     

First-Time Fathers' Expectations and Experiences Using Child Care and Integrating Parenting and Employment

This study explores the expectations and experiences of 37 first-time fathers about using child care and combining work and family responsibilities. Fathers completed questionnaires and participated in interviews at two home visits, the first at infant age 4-6 weeks, the second at 4-5 months. At the first visit, fathers' expectations were positively correlated with paternal self-esteem. At the second visit, fathers' experiences were positively correlated with the quality of child care, the support at their work, and their desire for their partner to work. At both visits, fathers expressed their dissatisfaction with the length of their parental leave and indicated interest in reducing their work hours. At the second visit, fathers who were spending more time caring for their infants expressed greater feelings of competence and pleasure in parenting. Outcomes of this study suggest that employer policies such as increased parental leaves and reduced work hours may enhance fathers' experiences integrating parenting and employment by providing increased opportunities for fathers to spend more time with their infant. In contrast to their partners, fathers' greater objectivity in monitoring the quality of their infant's child care suggests that fathers should be encouraged to take a more significant role.     

论中国电影中父子(女)关系的变化

“父亲”在“家国一体”的中国传统社会有着特殊的内涵,在中国传统家庭伦理中处于至高无上的地位。父亲形象因此成为中国电影关于家庭、国家、社会和文化想象的重要能指符号。在不同时期的电影中,父亲形象呈现出不同姿态。中国早期电影展示了父亲威严的悲剧性失落;第四代电影塑造了革命的父亲,并在文革后重建了父亲形象;第五代影片经历了消极病态的封建父亲向人性化父亲转化的过程;第六代影片反映了当下父亲形象的多样化;港台电影提出了父亲在传统与现代的冲突面前的策略……本文通过对中国电影中父亲形象的回顾,探讨了随着社会的变迁,中国电影中父子(女)关系所发生的变化。     

Attributions and Attitudes of Mothers and Fathers in the Philippines

OBJECTIVE.: This paper investigates the mean level and within-family similarities and differences in Filipino mothers' and fathers' attributions about success and failure in caregiving situations, and their progressive and authoritarian parenting attitudes. DESIGN.: Both mothers and fathers in 95 families in metropolitan Manila completed interviews. RESULTS.: Controlling for parents' age, education, and possible social desirability bias, there was a significant gender difference in modernity of attitudes, with mothers exhibiting higher levels of modernity than fathers. There was a strong correlation in mothers' and fathers' authoritarian attitudes and moderate correlations in modernity of attitudes. There were neither parent gender effects nor concordance in the attributions of mothers and fathers. CONCLUSIONS.: Cultural explanations are presented to account for the findings, specifically the sociocultural values that foster traditional attitudes favoring parental authority and child obedience, and the differences in gender and family roles of Filipino mothers and fathers.     

Variations in fathers’ discourse on fatherhood and in family alliances during infancy

The aim of this pilot study is to analyse the discourse of fathers of toddlers concerning fatherhood and the link between some particularities in the discourse and family alliance. The sample consists of 13 Swiss first time fathers (5 fathers of girls and 8 of boys). In order to evaluate the paternal discourse, the fathers were given a semistructured interview, which was later analysed using the research package Alceste. The family alliance, i.e., the degree of coordination among the partners when executing a task together, was assessed through the Lausanne Trilogue Play (Fivaz-Depeursinge & Corboz-Warnery, 1999). The main results indicated an interesting link between classes of paternal discourse grouped around the following themes “affective relationship”, “daily routine” and “educational goals”, and the family alliance (defined in two major categories; functional and problematic alliances). Finally, clinical perspectives on links between paternal representations and family functioning at an interactive level are discussed.     

The murder of children by fathers in the context of child abuse

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the backgrounds of fathers who fatally abuse their children and the contexts within which these homicides occur. The type of relationship between victim, perpetrator, and the victim's mother was a particular interest. METHODS: Data were gathered from 26 cases of fatal child abuse perpetrated by fathers derived from the wider Murder in Britain study. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from extensive prison case files of men serving life sentences for child murder. RESULTS: This was a group of undereducated, underemployed men with significant criminal histories. All except one victim had been subjected to previous violence by the offender, almost three-quarter of whom had also perpetrated violence against their intimate partners (the child's birth mother). Many men had unreasonable expectations and low tolerance levels of normal childhood behaviors, and many appeared jealous and resentful of these young children. All 26 victims were under 4 years of age. Sixty-two percent of the offenders were stepfathers and in only four cases was the perpetrator a birth father married to the birth mother. Stepfathers had more disrupted and disadvantaged backgrounds and experiences than birth fathers. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that fathers who perpetrate fatal child abuse have a propensity to use violence against children in their care and intimate partners, raising questions about the gender dynamics and generational boundaries operating in these families. The nature and type of intimate relationship (whether married or cohabiting) and fathering relationship (whether birth or de facto) were important differentiating factors in these homicides as well as characteristics of the offender. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Professionals working in child protection strive to provide effective services to children and families, ever vigilant to the possibility of the death of a child as a consequence of an assault. By and large, fathers (either biological or de facto) as the perpetrators of such assaults have received minimal attention in both policy and practice. Findings from this study suggest that practitioners need to be cognizant of men's attitudes towards and expectations of fathering (particularly stepfathering) which may present increased levels of risk to both children and intimate partners.     

Fathers as sexuality educators: aspirations and realities. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Men can play a significant role in teaching their children about sexuality but fathers’ practices and perceptions in this domain remain under explored. This study presents an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of eight fathers’ perceptions and practices in educating their ten-year-old children about physical maturation, reproduction and relationships. A Foucauldian analysis with a focus on governmentality and biopower revealed tensions and contradictions between the fathers’ aspirations and their realities, which appeared to be underpinned by the dynamic, contradictory, shifting, plural nature of fatherhood identities. Whilst fathers wished to adhere to the cultural imperative for father–child emotional closeness, a disparity between their ambitions and their conduct emerged. Care appeared to be a deeply gendered concept for the fathers and despite their aspirations for an intimate relationship with their children, gendered norms for motherhood and fatherhood prevailed resulting in passivity in their role as sexuality educators. The study concludes by arguing that challenges to structures and subcultural contexts, which may deter fathers from fully engaging with their sons and daughters in this aspect of communication are required.     

Attributions and Attitudes of Mothers and Fathers in Thailand

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined similarities and differences between mothers' and fathers' attributions regarding successes and failures in caregiving situations and progressive versus authoritarian attitudes as well as correlations between mothers' and fathers' attributions and attitudes. DESIGN: Interviews were conducted with both mothers and fathers in 88 Thai families. RESULTS: Mothers and fathers did not differ in mean levels of attributions regarding successes and failures in caregiving situations or in authoritarian or progressive attitudes. Mothers' and fathers' perceived control over failure, authoritarian attitudes, progressive attitudes, and modernity of attitudes were significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS: This work suggests high similarities between Thai mothers and fathers in their attributions and attitudes related to parenting.