HOME Fatherhood Research
Research #1

 Children who grow up without a father present, even when adjustments are made for income, are 75% more likely to need professional assistance for emotional problems, twice as likely to repeat a grade of school, and more likely to suffer a wide variety of other disorders including anxiety, peer conflict, and hyperactivity."
(National Center for Health Statistics, 1991: Study of 17,100 children in various family structures. The report also noted that children living with a mother and stepfather fared worse on most indicators.)

"One clear message from the accumulated divorce research is that children profit by continued exposure to both parents"
(Koch & Lowery, Journal of Divorce, 1984).

"Children who were able to maintain post-divorce relationships with both parents were better able to adjust to the divorce".

"The continuing involvement of divorced fathers in families where mothers maintain physical custody has become recognized as an important mediating factor in the adjustment and well-being of children of divorce."
(Ahrons & Miller, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1993).

"Children recover more rapidly from the emotional trauma of parents' separation when they maintain close ties with their fathers."
(Seltzer, Shaeffer & Charing, Journal of Marriage & the Family, 1989.).

"Adolescents who reported closer relationships with their non custodial fathers were assessed as displaying fewer internalizing problems"
(Brody & Forehand, Journal of Applied Psychology, 1990).

"Fathers' economic and social involvement with children diminishes some of the negative consequences of living with a single mother"
(Seltzer, Shaeffer & Charing, Journal of Marriage & the Family, 1989).

"When both parents share the social and economic responsibilities of child care, children appear to adapt better to their changed living arrangements than when mothers bear these responsibilities alone."
(Seltzer, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1991).

"Fathers have much to offer their adolescent children in many areas, including their career development, moral development, and sex role identification."
(Dudley, Family Relations, 1991).

"Fathers who spend time with their children teach them values."
(Seltzer, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1991).

"Fathers and children who maintain close touch through visiting communicate regularly in other ways as well."
(Seltzer, Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1991).

"Frequent contact with the father is associated with positive adjustment of the children."
(Ahrons, and Miller, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1993).

"Fathers play a significant role in terms of adolescent functioning"
(Thomas and Forehand, American Journal of Othopsychiatry, 1994).

"Males who reported high levels of inter-parental conflict and a good relationship with their fathers were perceived (by their teachers) to have fewer internalizing problems. A similar set of results emerged for the female adolescents"
(Brody and Forehand, Journal of Applied Psychology, 1990).

"Significant correlations were found between the father's reports of positive relationships with their adolescent offspring and teacher reports of less anxiety/withdrawal on the part of the adolescents."
(Thomas and Forehand, American Journal of Othopsychiatry, 1993).

The US Office of Technology Assessment (1987): "The increase in the number of mother-headed households and the corresponding decrease in father-headed households paralleled a 158% increase in child abuse and neglect in the 8 years from 1976 to 1984. 2.3% of sexual abuse of girls was by biological fathers, and 17% by stepfathers. 37% of child maltreatment occurred in mother-headed households, versus 23% in all US families. 44,700 children were sexually abused in 1979 which was .07% of all children below the age of 18 years of age."

The above research was compiled by Lowell Jaks, President of the Association for Non Custodial Parents' Rights (ANCPR).

The following was compiled by Michael Powers, Secretary, Fathers Right Association, New York State
1. 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from Fatherless homes. Source : Center for Disease Control
2. 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew cup in a Fatherless home. Source: Fulton County, Georgia jail populations and Texas Dept. of Corrections
3. 70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come from Fatherless Homes. Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice Special Report , 1988
4. 90.2% of Fathers with joint legal custody pay the support due. 95% of Fathers with joint legal and residental custody pay the support due. Source: Pearson and Thoennes
5. 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from Fatherless Homes. 63% of youth suicides are from Fatherless Homes. Source: U.S. D.H.H.S. Bureau of the Census.
6. 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from Fatherless Homes. Source: Center for Disease Control.
7. 71% of all high school dropouts come from Fatherless Homes. Source: National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools

"Children recover more rapidly from the emotional trauma of parents' separation when they maintain close ties with their fathers." (Judith A. Seltzer, Nora Shaeffer, Hong-wen Charing, University of Wisconsin,"Family Ties after Divorce: The Relationship Between Visiting and Paying Support," in Journal of Marriage & the Family, vol. 51, no. 4, November 1989)

"Fathers who have frequent contact with their children are also more likely to discuss the children with the mother." Judith A. Seltzer, University of Wisconsin-Madison, "Relationships between Fathers and Children Who Live Apart: The Father's Role after Separation," in Journal of Marriage and the Family, vol. 53, no. 1, February 1991.



Back to Top