Introduction Sexuality is a critical component of adolescent development. Experts define good sexual health as “not only the absence of disease, but the ability to understand and weigh the risks, responsibilities, outcomes, and impacts of sexual actions, to be knowledgeable of and comfortable with one’s body, and to be free from exploitation and coercion” (NASW, … Read more
Source: Premberg, A., Hellström, A.L. & Berg, M. (2008). Experiences of the first year as father. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 22(1), 56-63. Introduction Earlier research highlights the importance of fathers’ participation in the child’s development. In Sweden, it is a public policy goal to involve fathers in infant care and to increase gender equality between parents. A … Read more
Introduction Rising divorce rates have led to more children living apart from their biological fathers. Non-residency (father and child not living together) is a strong predictor of reduced father involvement. Non-residential fathers tend to be less involved with their children, in terms of paternal engagement (direct interaction with children), accessibility, and responsibility (Sandberg & Hofferth, … Read more
Introduction The rise of dual-career families has focused discussions on fatherhood towards men’s changing role within families. Less examined are men’s experiences at work – a space that often still defines men’s identities and their fatherhood roles. Certainly, many working mothers continue to shoulder a larger share of family responsibilities than working fathers. However, an … Read more
Father-Friendly Workplaces: The Implementation Gap More and more employers have adopted family-friendly initiatives, persuaded by the business case for such practices. Local research shows that for every S$1 invested in family-friendly initiatives, an organisation reaped an average return of S$1.28 in terms of increased productivity alone. When the additional benefit of reduced turnover was taken … Read more
Introduction Research on fatherhood reveals a wide range of factors that support or hinder fathers’ positive engagement with their children. In fact, father involvement has been shown to be influenced, to a greater extent than mother involvement, by contextual factors, such as family dynamics or socio-economic situation (Doherty et al, 1996). One such factor is … Read more
Zhang, X. & Chen, H. Reciprocal influences between parents’ perceptions of mother-child and father-child relationships: A short-term longitudinal study in Chinese preschoolers. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 2010, 171(1), 22–34. Introduction Research has traditionally explored the effect of parent-child relationships on children’s development or the effect of parents’ marital quality on parent-child relationships. Less explored is the … Read more
Much has been written about how play and recreation are key ways in which fathers parent, and wherein parenting differences between mothers and fathers show up. This article summarises research evidence on the unique parenting style that fathers tend to adopt, and the benefits that children reap when families and professionals alike optimise fatherhood. Fathers … Read more
The teenage stage One of the central tasks for teenagers is to develop their personal identity. Teenagers spend more time away from their parents and with their peers, from whom they learn cues about what to do in order to both fit in and stand out. However, parents continue to have an important role and … Read more
Source: Gruenert, S. & Galligan, R. (2007). The differences dads make: Young adult men’s experiences with their fathers, Journal of Applied Psychology 3(1), 3-15. Introduction: Research shows that a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive functioning outcomes are strongly tied to their relationships with their fathers, even into adulthood. An Australian study addresses this subject by seeking to … Read more