Predictors and outcomes of low-income fathers’ reading with their toddlers

Most studies of parent–child bookreading have focused on mothers reading to their children. Though the role of fathers in children's lives is widely emphasized, we know almost nothing about father–child bookreading, particularly among low-income families. The present study was designed to examine how often low-income fathers report reading to their children and what the predictors and effects of paternal bookreading are. The fathers in this study were participants in the national evaluation of Early Head Start (EHS) and were recruited via mothers enrolled in the EHS study. Participating fathers were interviewed at home and their children's cognitive and language development were assessed using standardized measures from ages 2 to 5. Results demonstrated a wide variety in frequency of bookreading among fathers. Fathers were more likely to read to their children frequently if they spoke English at home, if they had a high school education, and if their children had better language skills. Fathers’ bookreading predicted children's cognitive outcome. Paternal bookreading did predict children's language outcomes but only for children whose fathers had at least a high school education.     

Promoting father involvement in early home visiting services for vulnerable families: Findings from a pilot study of “Dads matter”

Despite mounting evidence on the importance of fathers in children’s development, evidence-based perinatal home visitation programs have largely overlooked fathers in the design and delivery of services. This paper describes the design, development, and pilot testing of the “Dads Matter” enhancement to standard home visiting services. Dads Matter is a manualized intervention package designed to fully incorporate fathers into perinatal home visiting services. Twenty-four families were enrolled in a pilot study to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of the intervention. Using a quasi-experimental time-lagged design, 12 families received standard home visiting services and completed baseline and four-month post-tests. Home visitor staff were then trained and supervised to implement the Dads Matter enhancement in addition to standard services. Twelve additional families were then enrolled and completed baseline and four-month post-tests. Implementation data indicated that Dads Matter was implemented as planned. Cohen’s d scores on outcome measures indicate positive trends associated with Dads Matter in the quality of the mother-father relationship, perceived stress reported by both parents, fathers’ involvement with the child, maltreatment indicators, and fathers’ verbalizations toward the infant. Effect sizes generally ranged from moderate to large in magnitude and were larger than overall effect sizes of home visitation services alone reported in prior meta-analyses. Dads Matter appears to be a feasible, acceptable, and promising approach to improving fathers’ engagement in home visiting services and promoting family and child well-being.     

Fathers’ perpetration of intimate partner violence and parenting during early childhood: Results from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study

BackgroundExperiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization negatively impact maternal parenting. However, little is known about the association between fathers’ perpetration of IPV and paternal parenting.ObjectiveTo examine associations between fathers’ IPV perpetration against the child’s mother and fathers’ stimulation and spanking practices with their young child.Participants and SettingWe used two waves of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study in the United States. The analytic sample comprised of 2,257 biological fathers who had been in a romantic relationship with the child’s mother.MethodsFathers’ IPV perpetration at year 1 and 3 was measured based on maternal report. Fathers were categorized into: never perpetrators (no IPV at either year), persisters (IPV at both years), desisters (IPV at year 1 only), and emergers (IPV at year 3 only). Fathers’ parenting at year 3 was measured based on self-reported stimulation (e.g., reading books, playing games, telling stories) and spanking.ResultsApproximately one-third of fathers never perpetrated IPV, 35.8% were persisters, 14.4% were desisters, and 16.9% were emergers. For stimulation, persisters (β=-0.16, 95% CI: -0.25, -0.06) and emergers (β=-0.25, 95% CI: -0.36, -0.14), but not desisters (β=-0.02, 95% CI: -0.14, 0.11), were less engaged in stimulation than fathers who never perpetrated IPV. However, for spanking, there were no differences in the associations by father IPV profiles.ConclusionsFindings suggest that fathers’ perpetration of IPV is related to their stimulation practices. Partner-abusive men and their children may benefit from parenting programs that promote engagement in stimulation and improve the quality of parent-child relationships.     

方方笔下不再伟岸的父辈形象

和许多作家一样方方抒写了卑琐无能的父辈形象。出于同情和理解，方方探究了父亲不再伟岸的因由，刻写了如此形象的背景。其间和傲然屹立的祖辈做了些许的对比。     

Memories of the Khyriv school kept alive by its students: sources and methodological contexts

ABSTRACT

The Scientific and Educational Department of the Jesuit Fathers in Khyriv (Zak?ad Naukowo-Wychowawczy OO. Jezuitów w Chyrowie) existed for 53 years (1886–1939). Over 6,000 students studied in this elite male school. The alumni of the secondary school belonged to the elite of Polish society. There were among them people from different walks of life. The Chyrów school must have been a special place for its students, because they preserved its memory for dozens of years. Some of them immortalised their reminiscences in their memoirs. Basing on the preserved source materials, I will try to reconstruct the memory of the school, its past – ambience and climate, as well as relations between students and between students and teachers. The preserved documents may allow us to unveil other less formal sides of the school life about which there is no evidence in the official sources.     

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.     

Peer teasing experiences of fathers and their children: Intergenerational associations and transmission mechanisms

Being the victim or perpetrator of peer teasing threatens children’s immediate and long-term well-being. Given that many individual and contextual risk factors for peer victimization are transmitted within families, we tested whether fathers’ childhood victimization experiences were directly or indirectly (via poor parenting and poor child adjustment) associated with their children’s increased risk for similar experiences. Generation two (G2) fathers (n = 130) who had been assessed since age 9 years participated in an intergenerational study with their 268 G3 children and the 163 G2 mothers of these children. Peer teasing ratings were collected annually from G1 mothers, fathers, and teachers across G2 ages 9–16 years, and from the same three informant types across the same ages for G3 children. Also assessed was G2 fathers’ poor parenting of G3 at ages 3–7 years and G3 poor adjustment (externalizing and internalizing behaviors, deviant peer association, low social competence) and body mass index (BMI) at ages 7–16 years. Models supported intergenerational stability in being teased that was partially mediated through G2 fathers’ poor parenting and G3 poor adjustment. A direct intergenerational path in being teased remained significant, and G3 BMI uniquely predicted being teased. Childhood peer victimization is perpetuated across generations. Prevention aimed at poor parenting, child poor adjustment, and peer victimization itself may disrupt intergenerational stability in these adverse experiences.     

Predictors of change in mothers’ and fathers’ parent-child aggression risk

Parents' cognitive schemas about parenting, personal vulnerabilities, and personal resources may affect their risk of engaging in parent-child aggression (PCA). This longitudinal study examined predictors of change in mothers' and fathers' PCA risk across the transition to parenthood, comparing trajectories of parents evidencing high versus low sociodemographic risk. Potential predictors involved parenting-relevant schemas (consistent with Social Information Processing theory, including approval of PCA, negative attributions of child behavior, and knowledge of nonphysical discipline options), personal vulnerabilities (psychopathology, intimate partner violence, substance use issues), and resources (problem-focused coping, emotion regulation, social support, and partner satisfaction). Results indicated that increases in PCA approval, negative child behavior attributions, and symptoms of psychopathology, as well as decreases in problem-focused coping skills, emotion regulation ability, and partner satisfaction, all significantly predicted changes in mothers' and fathers' PCA risk over time—regardless of risk group status. Notably, increases in intimate partner violence victimization and decreases in social support satisfaction predicted mothers' but not fathers' PCA risk change; moreover, increases in knowledge of nonphysical discipline alternatives or in substance use issues did not predict change in PCA risk for either mothers or fathers. Risk groups differed in PCA risk across all predictors with minimal evidence of differential trajectories. Overall, these findings have important implications for child abuse prevention programs involving both universal and secondary abuse prevention efforts.     

Fathers detained,contact restrained: Experiences of Palestinian children visiting their fathers in Israeli detention

BackgroundVery little is known about the experiences of children of political prisoners internationally, because of the challenges of researching within politically oppressive contexts.ObjectiveThe aim of this secondary analysis was to explore and understand Palestinian children’s experiences visiting their fathers in Israeli detention.Participants, setting and methodsQualitative data from sixteen in-depth interviews with thirty-one children were analyzed. Structural and longitudinal coding cycles were employed and focused upon the timeline of the visitation process.ResultsThree overarching themes emerged, which included: Children’s experiences ‘before the visit’, ‘during the visit’, and ‘after the visit’. Subthemes related to the distressing and at times traumatic experiences the children suffered throughout the process of preparation for, going through, and the aftermath of the visit. This included reports of experiencing punitive measures at checkpoints and waiting areas and humiliation and maltreatment by the Israeli authorities during the visitation process. These findings are discussed with reference to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. It was clear that the children’s best interests were denied and contact and interaction with their fathers was restrained under the Israeli visitation scheme. Despite the arduous visitation process that children often hated, they loved to see their fathers.ConclusionsEven though the children’s rights were infringed upon, they still endured hardships to maintain whatever contact was possible. International advocacy for the realization of the ‘rights of the child’ for Palestinian children, as well as other children of political detainees is warranted.