This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Dubowitz, H. Articles by Runyan, D. K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Dubowitz, H. Articles by Runyan, D. K. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Child Development Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Father Involvement and Children's Functioning at Age 6 Years: A Multisite Study

University of Maryland School of Medicine

Maureen M. Black

University of Maryland School of Medicine

Christine E. Cox

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine

Mia A. Kerr

University of Maryland School of Medicine

Alan J. Litrownik

San Diego State University

Aruna Radhakrishna

School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Diana J. English

Office of Children's Administration Research, Seattle

Mary Wood Schneider

Juvenile Protection Association, Chicago

Desmond K. Runyan

University of North Carolina School of Medicine

Research suggests that fathers' involvement in their children's lives is associated with enhanced child functioning. The current study examined (a) whether presence of a father was associated with better child functioning, (b) whether children's perceptions of fathers' support was associated with better functioning, and (c) whether the above association was moderated by the father's relationship to the child, the child's race, and the child's gender. Participants included 855 six-year-old children and their caregivers. Father presence was associated with better cognitive development and greater perceived competence by the children. For children with a father figure, those who described greater father support had a stronger sense of social competence and fewer depressive symptoms. The associations did not differ by child's gender, race, or relationship to the father figure. These findings support the value of fathers' presence and support to their children's functioning. Priorities for future research include clarifying what motivates fathers to be positively involved in their children's lives and finding strategies to achieve this.

Child Maltreatment, Vol. 6, No. 4, 300-309 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/1077559501006004003


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Dubowitz Commentary on Fathers and Children and Maltreatment: Relationships Matter Most Child Maltreat, August 1, 2009; 14(3): 291 - 293. [PDF]

				J. L. Bellamy A National Study of Male Involvement Among Families in Contact With the Child Welfare System Child Maltreat, August 1, 2009; 14(3): 255 - 262. [Abstract] [PDF]

				F. P. Rivara, M. L. Anderson, P. Fishman, A. E. Bonomi, R. J. Reid, D. Carrell, and R. S. Thompson Intimate Partner Violence and Health Care Costs and Utilization for Children Living in the Home Pediatrics, December 1, 2007; 120(6): 1270 - 1277. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. L. Coleman, C. Garfield, and Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Fam Fathers and Pediatricians: Enhancing Men's Roles in the Care and Development of Their Children Pediatrics, May 1, 2004; 113(5): 1406 - 1411. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Duggan, L. Fuddy, E. McFarlane, L. Burrell, A. Windham, S. Higman, and C. Sia Evaluating a Statewide Home Visiting Program to Prevent Child Abuse in at-Risk Families of Newborns: Fathers' Participation and Outcomes Child Maltreat, February 1, 2004; 9(1): 3 - 17. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. N. Elliott and C. N. Carnes Reactions of Nonoffending Parents to the Sexual Abuse of their Child: A Review of the Literature Child Maltreat, November 1, 2001; 6(4): 314 - 331. [Abstract] [PDF]