Father involvement in child welfare: Associations with changes in externalizing behavior

Leon, Scott C.; Bai, Grace Jhe; Fuller, Anne K.

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.04.003

Cited by 38 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 22 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In a study that focused on a sample of families reported to Child Protective Services (CPS), no supporting evidence was found for the effects of father involvement (e.g., spending time with the child, contributing to everyday care) on children’s internalizing (e.g., depression) and externalizing (e.g., aggression) behavior problems at ages 4 and 6 (Marshall, English, & Stewart, 2001). In contrast to these findings, a recent longitudinal study of 333 child welfare involved children found that nonresident father involvement was significantly associated with lower slope in externalizing behavior trajectories (Leon et al, 2016). Although this longitudinal study provided valuable information about the impact of father involvement on children’s externalizing behavior problems over time, the study was limited in that it only focused on nonresident fathers, leaving out various types of co-resident fathers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

“…Although general population research suggests that father involvement has a vital influence on children’s behavior outcomes, relatively little is known about its role in families who are involved or are at high risk of involvement with the child welfare system (Leon, Jhe Bai, Fuller, 2016). The effects of father involvement on child development in maltreating, at-risk families may differ from those in normative households due to various risk factors (e.g., child maltreatment, complex and non-traditional family structures, diverse father types, frequent changes in father figures) that may reduce or amplify the benefits of positive father involvement.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Father Involvement and Behavior Problems among Preadolescents at Risk of Maltreatment

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although there is a well-established connection between father involvement and children’s positive behavioral development in general, this relation has been understudied in more vulnerable and high-risk populations. The aims of this study were to examine how the quantity (i.e., the amount of shared activities) and quality (i.e., perceived quality of the father-child relationship) of father involvement are differently related to internalizing and externalizing behavior problems among preadolescents at risk of maltreatment and test if these associations are moderated by father type and child maltreatment. A secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). Generalized estimating equations analysis was performed on a sample of 499 preadolescents aged 12 years. The results indicated that higher quality of father involvement was associated with lower levels of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems whereas greater quantity of father involvement was associated with higher levels of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The positive association between the quantity of father involvement and behavior problems was stronger in adolescents who were physically abused by their father. The association between father involvement and behavior problems did not differ by the type of father co-residing in the home. The findings suggest that policies and interventions aimed at improving the quality of fathers’ relationships and involvement with their children may be helpful in reducing behavior problems in adolescents at risk of maltreatment.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Father Involvement and Behavior Problems among Preadolescents at Risk of Maltreatment

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A recent meta-analysis study by researchers Leon, Bai, and Fuller (2016) titled Father involvement in child welfare: associations with changes in externalizing behavior provides credence. This study included 333 children, between the ages of six and 13, from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).…”

Section: Importance Of Fathersmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…In fact, few minimal services are focused on the father-child dyad (Panter-Brick et al, 2014). However, fathers need to be involved as they uniquely impact the child's well being (Leon, Bai, & Fuller, 2016) but a review of the literature shows evidence of negative stereotyping, inequality of treatment and exclusion from services for fathers.…”

Section: Perceptions Of Fathersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parents’ Gender Stereotypical Biases towards their Children May Be Negatively Affecting Their Son’s Involvement as a Father with His Children

Amato¹

2018

IJGWS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is a distinct difference in parenthood roles between mothers and fathers where mothers perform most-expressive‖ functions, and fathers perform most-instrumental‖ functions often leaving fathers on the sidelines of parenthood (Bernard, 1975). Many factors-ranging from outright discrimination to the process associated with gender role socialization‖ contribute to these gender role patterns (Eccles, 1994, p. 585). Parents, through reinforcement, encourage daughters to-place more value on putting family needs before work‖ (Eccles, & Wang, 2016, p. 102). However, sons are encouraged to-place more value on jobs that allow them to make a lot of money‖ (Eccles, & Wang, 2016, p.102; Jozefowicz, Barber, & Eccles, 1993). Father's attitudes-about their children and their roles as parents may be important in determining the father's involvement with their children‖ (Cox, Owen, Henderson, & Margand, 1992, p. 1022). A father's involvement may be influenced by their experiences and perceptions of self-efficacy originating in childhood (Eccles, 2014). Many fathers-express a desire to parent differently from their own fathers, whom they perceived as having been distant or disengaged from their families (Goodman, 2005, p. 193).It can be contributed to the parent's gender stereotypical biases towards their children. Parenthood is a significant life course transition. For the most part, with all the contraceptives available, having a child is a decision (Nock, 2000). Most parents can attest to the fact that entry into parenthood is forever life changing (Buchler, Perales, & Baxter, 2017). Some people give many reasons why not to enter parenthood such as gender role inequality (McDonald, 2006), economic uncertainty (Kreyenfeld, 2009),changes in partnership behaviour (Baizán, Aassve, & Billari, 2003), fear of disappointment in the child or as parent (Qu, & Weston, 2001), and restrictions of loss of freedom and time (Michaels, 1988). On the other hand, some people give many reasons why to have a child such as to provide love and companionship (Morgan, & King, 2001), adult status and identity (Hoffman, & Manis, 1979) and makes evolutionary sense to have children and teach them (Kaplan, Hill, Hurtado, & Lancaster, 2001). Researchers have identified many reasons why people become parents from being pre-programmed to respond to babies (Kringelbach, 2008) to being influenced by their culture (Hoffman, & Manis, 1979). Parenthood and Culture Parents contribute-to the socialization of gender in their children by adopting the dominant cultural prescriptions that girls and boys are different‖ (Leaper, 2005, p.190). Culture is the set of values, beliefs and ways of thinking for a specific group (Brym, Lie, & Rytina, 2006) which shapes the view of oneself (Mezirow, 2000). It is the physical and social setting where the values and recommended behaviors for parents and children alike become systematic and predictable (Harkness, & Super, 2002). Thus, parenting becomes an interactional process between parent, child, and culture (Belsky, 1984). Pa...

show abstract

“…For children living in homes without a father present, those who have had recent contact with their fathers have The effect of fathers' service use on mother's reunification 4 been found to be less likely to enter foster care (Bellamy, 2009). In a recent study, father involvement in a chld welfare sample was also show to be associated with a decrease in externalizing behavior in children (Leon, Bai & Fuller, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does fathers' involvement in services affect mothers' likelihood of reunification with children placed in foster care?

D'Andrade

2017

Children and Youth Services Review

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Social science literature shows associations between fathers' involvement with their children and beneficial developmental outcomes of those children. A related but smaller body of research in the child welfare services arena has found measures of father involvement to be positively associated with beneficial child welfare outcomes, including child's reunification with parent after placement in foster care. However, the pathway by which father involvement affects reunification likelihood has not been determined. This study builds on the existing body of literature by testing a theoretical basis for the relationship between father involvement (measured as service use) and mothers' reunification in a model controlling for family structure. I find that fathers' involvement in services improves mothers' likelihood of reunification, independently of family structure. Results suggest that agency efforts to involve fathers in services make sense both when the aim is to prepare the father for possible custody, and when the aim is to reunify the mother.

show abstract

Father involvement in child welfare: Associations with changes in externalizing behavior

Cited by 38 publications

References 22 publications

Father Involvement and Behavior Problems among Preadolescents at Risk of Maltreatment

Father Involvement and Behavior Problems among Preadolescents at Risk of Maltreatment

Parents’ Gender Stereotypical Biases towards their Children May Be Negatively Affecting Their Son’s Involvement as a Father with His Children

Does fathers' involvement in services affect mothers' likelihood of reunification with children placed in foster care?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About