Positive forms of father involvement (involvement in child-related activities, engagement in multiple forms of involvement and developing a positive father-child relationship) were associated with children’s social and emotional well-being as well as behavioral adjustment and academic achievement.
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Source: Adamsons, K., & Johnson, S. K. (2013). An updated and expanded meta-analysis of nonresident fathering and child well-being. Journal of Family Psychology, 27, 589-599.The absence of a biological father contributed to the increased risk of child maltreatment. Get More Research on the Father Factor in Father Facts 8 > Source: Bendheim-Thomas Center for Research on Child Wellbeing and Social Indicators Survey Center. (2010). CPS involvement in families with social fathers. Fragile Families Research Brief, 46. Princeton, NJ and New York, NY: Bendheim-Thomas Center for Research on Child Wellbeing and Social Indicators Survey Center.The lowest achievement and the highest risk of school failure and course failure were experienced by adolescents who did not have a resident father figure and didn’t know the identity of their fathers.
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Source: Whitney, S., Prewett, S., Wang, Ze, & Haigin C. (2017). Fathers’ importance in adolescents’ academic achievement. International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 8(3–4), 101–126.Researchers used secondary data in a sample of 835 juvenile male inmates from the Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research to examine gun carrying and drug trafficking in young men, linking father absence to the likelihood of engaging in these behaviors. They found that the father’s absence was the only disadvantage on the individual level with significant effects on gun carrying, drug trafficking, and co-occurring behavior. They found that individuals from father-absent homes were 279% more likely to carry guns and deal drugs than peers who lived with their fathers. Get More Research on the Father Factor in Father Facts 8 > Source: Allen, A. N., & Lo, C. C. (2012). Drugs, guns, and disadvantaged youths: Co-occurring behavior and the code of the street. Crime & Delinquency, 58(6), 932-953.Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, researchers examined the association between maternal parenting stress, mother-father relationship status, and fathers’ participation in parenting in terms of engagement, sharing in child-related chores, and cooperative co-parenting. They found that fathers’ engagement with children and sharing in child-related chores were negatively associated with maternal parenting stress while cooperative co-parenting had a spurious relationship with maternal parenting stress. They also found little variation in these associations by mother-father relationship status suggesting that fathers’ participation in parenting was important for both mothers and children even if the mother-father relationship had ended. Get More Research on the Father Factor in Father Facts 8 > Source: Nomaguchi, K., Brown, S., & Leyman, T. (2017). Fathers’ participation in parenting and maternal parenting stress: Variation by relationship status. Journal of Family Issues, 38, 1132-1156.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 19.5 million children, more than 1 in 4, live without a father in the home.
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau. (2018). Living arrangements of children under 18 years old: 1960 to present. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau.Depression and delinquency scores were much higher among the portion of adolescent respondents who reported having a father that had, at some point, been incarcerated.
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Source: Swisher, R. R., & Shaw-Smith, U. (2015). Paternal Incarceration and adolescent well-being: Life course contingencies and other moderators. Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, 104(4), 929-959.In 2011, children living in female-headed homes with no spouse present had a poverty rate of 47.6%. This was over four times the rate for children living in married-couple families.
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Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2012). Information on poverty and income statistics: A summary of 2012 current population survey data. Retrieved from:http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/12/PovertyAndIncomeEst/ib.cfmMen who grew up with absent fathers were more likely to become absent fathers. They also found that women who grew up with absent fathers are more likely to have children with absent fathers.
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Source: Pougnet, E., Serbin, L. A., Stack, D. M., Ledingham, J. E., & Schwartzman, A. E. (2012). The intergenerational continuity of fathers’ absence in a socioeconomically disadvantaged sample. Journal of Marriage and Family, 74(3), 540-555.Men who grew up with absent fathers were more likely to become absent fathers. They also found that women who grew up with absent fathers are more likely to have children with absent fathers.
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Source: Pougnet, E., Serbin, L. A., Stack, D. M., Ledingham, J. E., & Schwartzman, A. E. (2012). The intergenerational continuity of fathers’ absence in a socioeconomically disadvantaged sample. Journal of Marriage and Family, 74(3), 540-555.Father involvement seems to reduce the occurrence of behavioral problems in boys and psychological problems in young women, as well as enhancing cognitive development, while decreasing delinquency and economic disadvantage in low-income families.
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Source: Sarkadi, A., Kristiansson, R., Oberklaid, F., & Bremberg, S. (2008). Fathers’ involvement and children’s developmental outcomes: a systematic review of longitudinal studies. Acta Paediatrica, 97, 153–158.Father absence increased the risk of infant mortality, and the mortality rate for infants within the first 28 days of life is four times higher for those with absent fathers than those with involved fathers. Get More Research on the Father Factor in Father Facts 8 > Source: Alio, A. P., Mbah, A. K., Kornosky, J. L., Wathington, D., Marty, P. J., & Salihu, H. M. (2011). Assessing the impact of paternal involvement on Racial/Ethnic disparities in infant mortality rates. Journal of Community Health, 36(1), 63-68.Many people believe that family structure doesn’t really matter, as long as children are cared for and loved by someone, anyone. However, new research on father absence shows that old adage, “correlation does not imply causation,” does not apply to the effects of father absence on children. In other words, according to absent father statistics, for many of our most intractable social ills affecting children, father absence is to blame.
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Source: McLanahan, S., Tach, L., & Schneider, D. (2013). The causal effects of father absence. Annual Review of Sociology, 39, 399-427.
Additional impacts of missing dads:
The absence of a father in a child’s home can have far-reaching and long-lasting effects on the child’s well-being and development. Some of the impacts of a missing father include:
Emotional instability: Children who grow up without a father figure may experience feelings of abandonment, low self-esteem, and insecurity.
Difficulty in forming relationships: Children who grow up without a father may struggle to form healthy relationships with others, including romantic relationships and friendships.
Increased risk of poverty: Children from single-parent homes, especially those headed by mothers, are more likely to live in poverty.
Increased likelihood of behavioral problems: Children who grow up without a father may be at increased risk of developing behavioral problems, including aggression and substance abuse.
Academic difficulties: Children who grow up without a father may experience difficulties in school, including lower academic achievement and a higher likelihood of dropping out.
It is important to note that these impacts can vary depending on the individual child, their family circumstances, and the resources available to them. Additionally, the presence of supportive adults in a child’s life, such as extended family members, teachers, or mentors, can help mitigate some of these negative impacts.
