There have been a number of studies over the last 20 years showing the benefits of father involvement – the presence of a dad or other significant male figure in children’s lives – and the lifetime impact that has. Having a positive dad or male in a child’s life is linked to better school readiness, social and emotional competence, empathy and better lifelong health. Studies have also shown that lack of father involvement is a major risk factor that can lead to delinquency, depression and early involvement in substance abuse and sex.
*The Effects of Father Involvement: An Updated Research Summary of the Evidence Inventory© Centre for Families, Work & Well-Being, University of Guelph 2007
A new British study in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry shows a connection with the quality of father-child interactions at 3 months of age, and behaviour concerns at 1 year and later. The researchers looked at the fathers’ engagement, sensitivity and responsiveness with their infants, scored on standard scales, then at the child’s behaviour at 1 year of age through a questionnaire their parents completed. The parents rated their kids on externalizing behaviours such as aggression, being oppositional, being overactive and others.
(Source: www.bccf.ca)