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Literature in developmental psychology suggests that mothers and fathers both play unique and important roles in their children’s development. However, research investigating the unique contributions and psychological functioning of fathers of youth with developmental disabilities, and the role that fathers play in effective intervention, remains limited. Whereas evidence suggests that parent-mediated interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can lead to increased engagement from parents, and reduced stress and psychopathology commonly experienced by parents of youth with…
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Lower baseline testosterone (T) among men is generally associated with more sympathetic and nurturant responses to infant stimuli. The effect of exposure to infant crying on men’s levels of T, however, is not well understood. The present study aimed to measure men’s T responses to high and low levels of infant crying. Changes in fathers’ (n = 18) and non-fathers’ (n = 28) salivary T levels from baseline were measured in response to caring for an infant simulator programmed to cry often (high-demand condition) or infrequently (low-demand condition) during a 20-min caregiving simulation. Men…
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In the second half of the 20th century, the United States experienced a massive increase in incarceration. In response to this growth, a burgeoning scholarship has sought to explore the collateral consequences of incarceration for young children. However, this scholarship has less frequently explored the impact of incarceration on long-term outcomes, how incarceration experienced in periods other than early childhood impacts children, and whether the incarceration of family members other than parents has negative implications for children. Using data from the children of the mothers in the…
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Approximately one in four incarcerated male young offenders in the UK is an actual or expectant father. This paper reviews evidence on the effectiveness of parenting interventions for male young offenders. We conducted systematic searches across 20 databases and consulted experts. Twelve relevant evaluations were identified: 10 from the UK, of programmes for incarcerated young offenders, and two from the US, of programmes for young parolees. None used experimental methods or included a comparison group. They suggest that participants like the courses, find them useful, and the interventions…
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This randomized study tested the effects of 2 prebirth interventions, Minnesota Early Learning Design coparenting and childbirth curricula, on young African American and Hispanic fathers and their adolescent partners (N = 154). The coparenting intervention (n = 44) was associated with changing fathers' perceptions of their coparenting behavior rather than mothers' perceptions of the fathers' behavior compared with the childbirth program (n = 46). Fathers and mothers consistently reported fathers' improved coparenting behavior when the coparenting intervention was compared with a no-…
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This study examined social-emotional variables and parenting views of fathers of infants born to adolescent mothers. A convenience sample consisted of 15 fathers of infants born to adolescent mothers, 15 age-matched non-parenting male peers, and 15 adolescent mothers. Both quantitative and qualitative measures were used. Although results showed significant differences between fathers and peers and between fathers and adolescent mothers, the fathers and adolescent mothers were more alike than the fathers and peers. Although the majority of fathers and peers view parenthood as increased…
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The articles in this issue of The Prevention Researcher highlight findings about the involvement of teen fathers in the lives of their children and the link between teen fatherhood and delinquent behavior. Studies cited in the journal indicate that father involvement depends primarily on the relationship between the child's parents. Fathers who resided with their child's mother or who maintained a good relationship with her had greater contact with their children. Other influences included ethnocultural socialization, family history, relationships with the mother's family, and welfare reform…
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Prenatal parenting attitudes and parenting behaviors during infancy and early childhood were used as predictors of attachment in children of adolescent mothers at ages 1 and 5. Seventy-eight adolescent mother - child dyads participated. Data were collected at five time points from the third trimester of pregnancy through the children's 5th year. A high percentage of children exhibited disorganized and insecure attachment during both infancy and early childhood; only 30% were securely attached at 1 year and 41% at 5 years. Quality of maternal interactions and cognitive readiness to parent…
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This special issue focuses on teen parenthood and includes articles that address the developmental trajectory for children born to teenage parents, protective factors for teen parents and their children, intervention efforts to promote resiliency, and the experiences of infants of teenage parents. An introductory article discusses the risks associated with adolescent parenthood and community-based strategies to support young families. The following article reviews findings from large national studies on the effects of early care and intervention on the children of adolescents. The next…
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The present study examined the relationship between concurrent measures of adolescent fathers' parenting stress, social support, and fathers' care-giving involvement with the 3-month-old infant, controlling for fathers' prenatal involvement. The study sample consisted of 50 teenage father-mother dyads. Findings from multivariate regression revealed that fathers' parenting stress was significantly and negatively related to fathers' care giving as perceived by both fathers and mothers. The relationship between support for father involvement provided by the young man's parents and father…
