Search

Young fathers often view studying in HE positively, and perceive the benefits to include improving self-confidence, reconnecting with lost learning opportunities, building better career prospects, and becoming a better role model for their children. However, despite these perceived benefits, not all young fathers decide to study in HE. The financial burden of course fees are often prohibitive and some young fathers do not want to risk losing income or interrupting their existing careers. They face challenges such as knowing what HE opportunities are available and experience difficulties in navigating the application process. Others feel that they are not sufficiently qualified to study at a higher level. For those young fathers who do go on to study, they may also experience difficulties entering and sustaining their HE journey. Once enrolled, common challenges include the demands of childcare, financial pressures, and well-being concerns. To complicate matters, young fathers rarely seek out support from HE providers or other formal services. With the educational outcomes of young fathers being a cause for concern and due to the hidden nature of this group who are largely absent from statistics, this qualitative study draws attention to this under-researched area and guides future policy and practice.

Transition to school research has largely overlooked parents' experiences, particularly fathers. Addressing this gap, we gathered speech samples from UK parents (93 mothers, Mean age = 37.1 years; SD = 4.6 years; and 70 fathers, Mean age = 38.0 years; SD = 3.59 years) that captured their experiences of the school transition. This study (a) compared mothers' and fathers' experiences; and (b) examined experiences alongside parental self-reported psychological distress and household disorder. Parents' experiences differed in valence: Emotional Reaction (mixed), Experiences with the School (positive), Support and Relationships (mixed), and Routines and Responsibilities (negative). Relationships and Support elicited heightened emotions from mothers than fathers. Only maternal experiences were associated with psychological distress and household disorder. Within couples (n = 64), only negative talk about Routines and Responsibilities was shared; all other experiences were individual. Findings show significant, mixed, and independent parental effects and recommend greater policy and practice consideration of the family context during the school transition.

There is considerable variability in developmental outcomes of children whose mothers experience depression. Few longitudinal studies have examined contributions of paternal involvement in the association between maternal postnatal depression (PND) and offspring development. We examined pathways from maternal PND at 8 weeks (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; total score) to offspring emotional and behavioral development at 7 years (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; total score) through behavioral, affective, and cognitive dimensions of paternal involvement in a U.K.-based birth cohort (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children; n = 3,434). Analyses were adjusted for baseline confounders and paternal PND (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; total score) as an intermediate confounder. Maternal PND was strongly associated with offspring development, but this association was not mediated by the combination of all indirect pathways through various dimensions of paternal involvement. Only father--child conflict emerged as a risk factor for adverse offspring development and as a mediator in the association between maternal PND and offspring development (albeit the effect size was small). If found causal, interventions that reduce father-child conflict may reduce the risk of adverse development in offspring of mothers with PND.

Background: Play is a main driver of children's cognitive and social development and is crucial for educational success ("Paediatrics," 119, 2007 and 182). In recent years, however, parents and schools are under pressure to prioritize academic targets over play. Aims: The current research investigated parents' views about three aspects of their children's play and academic activities. Sample: Predominantly highly educated UK parents (109 mothers and 49 fathers) were recruited via social media. Method: Participants were asked to complete an amended online version of the Preschool Play and Learning Questionnaire ("International Journal of Behavioral Development," 28, 2004 and 97). The questionnaire consisted of 25 items covering three themes: the importance of play for children's development, the importance of academic activities, and the importance of parents' role in their children's development. The independent variables were the gender of the parent, the gender of their child, and the age group of their child (4-7 years, or 8-11 years). Results: Parents rated play higher than academic activities or their own roles, but the difference was not noteworthy. However, fathers rated academic activities and the parents' role significantly higher than mothers did. In addition, parents of girls rated academic activities and their own role significantly higher than parents of boys. Conclusions: The findings of the current research highlight gender divisions between parents and towards boys and girls regarding the importance of education. Gender roles appear to influence the way parents think about the academic activities their children partake in.

There are multivariate influences on the development of children's executive function throughout the lifespan and substantial individual differences can be seen as early as when children are 1 and 2 years of age. These individual differences are moderately stable throughout early childhood, but more research is needed to better understand their origins. To some degree, individual differences in executive function are correlated between mother and child, but no research to date has examined these associations prior to when children are preschool age, nor have any studies considered the role of fathers' and mothers' executive function in tandem. Here, we use a sample of 484 families (Mothers 89.2% white; Fathers 92.5% white) in three countries (UK, USA, Netherlands) to investigate the role of each parents' executive function on the development of children's (49.7% female) executive function from 14 (M = 14.42, SD = 0.57) to 24 (M = 24.47, SD = 0.78) months, as well as parenting practices that underlie these associations. Results of structural equation models suggest stability in some--but not all--components of executive function and growing unity between components as children age. We replicate extant findings such that mothers' executive function predicts children's executive function over and above stability and extend these findings to include associations between father and child skills. We find an additive role of fathers' EF, similar in magnitude to the role of mothers' EF. Finally, for both mothers and fathers we find that sensitivity and autonomy supportive practices mediate the relations between parents' and children's executive function.

Parental involvement in education has taken on a new importance in contemporary society as a result of the rise of ideas associated with 'parental determinism', the desire of neoliberal states to shift responsibility for educational outcomes onto families, and the increasing salience of educational qualifications in processes of social ­reproduction. Nevertheless, extant research has indicated that such responsibilities typically fall on mothers rather than fathers. Drawing on a two-wave study, this article explores the experiences of UK families in which fathers had taken on at least equal responsibility for the care of their young children, focussing specifically on whether the 'labour' associated with education was also distributed more equally. It shows that education was a notable area in which inequalities continued to be played out -- because of assumptions about maternal responsibility, but also the active role performed by schools and parent groups in reinforcing traditional gender roles.

Background: This small study explores the lived experience of four UK-based fathers (one black British, one white Polish and two white British) caring for at least one child with a dual diagnosis of learning disability and autism. The key aim was to get as close as possible to understanding the experience of these fathers in their role as carers. Methods: The study makes use of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as an approach to gathering (via interview) and making sense of the fathers' experiences. Findings and discussion: We co-constructed three themes following analysis of the interview transcripts: "fatherhood: not doing enough, not doing it right"; "crossing worlds: relearning how to communicate and reclaiming fatherhood"; and "uncertain futures." We found that, for these fathers, the experiences of anxiety and helplessness were balanced with the appreciation of their value as protectors, their shifting sense of identity and of their closeness with their children. Relationships were central throughout. Conclusions: The exploration of fathers' experiences helps to highlight the less-measurable, nuanced aspects of the joys and challenges of caring for children with dual diagnoses of learning disability and autism which might be used to enhance the support provided and to inform new approaches.

Formerly heterosexually partnered gay fathers raised with religion are an under-researched group of LGBTQ parents. This group have potentially complex coming out journeys, which can result in them seeking counselling. This research qualitatively explores the counselling experiences of 12 such men and offers suggestions for working therapeutically with them. The key finding of the qualitative analysis of the participants' interviews was that they wanted therapists to not assume a "best" outcome for them as either gay or "straight". Instead, they wanted therapists to respect and assist them to explore their own individual sense-making around their identities and to reject fixed notions from both ex-gay and gay affirmative therapy of what it means to be a "well-adjusted" gay father.

The purpose of this article is to systematically identify, appraise and synthesise qualitative research concerning UK parents' experiences of their child receiving a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. In total, 11 articles were located through a systematic search of five databases, reference lists, citations and grey literature. These were critically appraised and their results synthesised using meta-ethnography. The quality scores given to included studies were variable, so suggestions are made to improve reporting of future research. Three third-order constructs were developed: (1) emotional needs, (2) informational needs and (3) relational needs. Each relates to parents' needs as they navigate the process of making sense of their child by seeking and adjusting to a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Parents' experiences of assessment and diagnosis of their children varied, but these needs were evident across the course of the process. Fathers seemed to find it more difficult than mothers to reconcile having a child with autism spectrum disorder, which may have been grounded in a sense of exclusion from the assessment process. The findings should be considered by professionals working with children, particularly those directly involved in diagnosing autism spectrum disorder. Clinical implications emphasise the need for consideration of parents' emotional needs, provision of information to aid understanding, and strong relationships with professionals. Future clinical research, which should be informed by quality standards, might develop and evaluate standards of assessment and diagnosis, including post-diagnostic support.

Aim: This study was an exploration into the experiences and perspectives of teenage fathers regarding their education. It aimed to unpick the role belonging played in their time in school. Method: Six men who had fathered a child before they were twenty years old participated in a narrative interview, during which they were encouraged to speak about their life history and experiences of education. Interviews were analysed using a combination of: 'rough verse'; key narratives; canons; and personal narratives. Findings: The findings suggest that these young fathers initially had positive experiences of school, but a lack of belonging was a crucial factor in determining their success in education. Primary schools were presented as containing places, counteracting a lack of belonging at home. In contrast, the fathers' experiences at secondary school often mirrored the sense of isolation and social exclusion that they felt within their families. Some fathers experienced fatherhood as a positive turning point in their lives and found a sense of belonging in their new families. Limitations: The narrative nature of the study meant that findings cannot be extrapolated from the small number of participants and that some avenues of interest were left unexplored. Conclusion: A profound lack of belonging was present in many aspects of the fathers' lives and could be considered to have impacted on their educational outcomes.

This paper reports an original approach to family literacy in two UK men's prisons. Brief consideration of family literacy research precedes consideration of specific issues of imprisonment and literacy, and recent initiatives for incarcerated fathers. The significance of the study lies in the demonstration that theories of early literacy development can successfully be shared with imprisoned fathers, and related practices incorporated into the literacy-oriented family visits. A rigorous interpretivist approach highlights the importance of prisoners learning about children's early literacy development. Although the opportunity to see their children provides a strong motivation to enrol on the programme, the paper argues that the men's manifest engagement with the ideas and activities in the workshops and the literacy-oriented family visits indicate successful programme adaptation: primary success lies in influencing fathers' concern to support their children whilst incarcerated, though impact on their resolve to desist from crime and re-establish their fathering roles is also notable. Implications for policy and practices to enhance incarcerated parents' involvement with their children's developing literacy are discussed.

Men can play a significant role in teaching their children about sexuality but fathers' practices and perceptions in this domain remain under explored. This study presents an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of eight fathers' perceptions and practices in educating their ten-year-old children about physical maturation, reproduction and relationships. A Foucauldian analysis with a focus on governmentality and biopower revealed tensions and contradictions between the fathers' aspirations and their realities, which appeared to be underpinned by the dynamic, contradictory, shifting, plural nature of fatherhood identities. Whilst fathers wished to adhere to the cultural imperative for father-child emotional closeness, a disparity between their ambitions and their conduct emerged. Care appeared to be a deeply gendered concept for the fathers and despite their aspirations for an intimate relationship with their children, gendered norms for motherhood and fatherhood prevailed resulting in passivity in their role as sexuality educators. The study concludes by arguing that challenges to structures and subcultural contexts, which may deter fathers from fully engaging with their sons and daughters in this aspect of communication are required.

Fatherhood in this 21st century is changing. There is wider societal recognition that, for the sake of our children, we need to value fathers and the contribution they make to family life. In the United Kingdom, various initiatives are actively supporting "Dads" in their role. For fathers of children with disabilities, there are even greater challenges to their fatherhood. This article reviews ways in which fathers of children with disabilities have traditionally been viewed. It asks schools to reflect on ways in which they engage fathers, and makes specific reference to the new UK report (chaired by the author) on "Recognising Fathers" (Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, 2006).

Background: A diagnosis of childhood autism can be an extremely stressful experience for parents, but little is known concerning paternal perceptions of the process. Methods: This study investigated father perspectives on a diagnosis of autism, through an online survey. Results: An analysis of 184 replies to an open-ended question identified the following themes: strong initial emotional response and a range of immediate anxieties about the future, struggle to gain a diagnosis; anger in response to insensitive delivery of diagnosis together with insufficient information at the time and lack of support afterwards. Conclusion: Fathers experienced a range of significant challenges during a diagnostic process in which most felt unsupported. Service provision should be more gender-differentiated, taking into account of the particular needs and perspectives of both mothers and fathers at this critical juncture in family life.

Background: Elucidating risk pathways for under-achieving at school can inform strategies to reduce the number of adolescents leaving school without passing grades in core subjects. Maternal depression can compromise the quality of parental care and is associated with multiple negative child outcomes. However, only a few small studies have investigated the association between perinatal maternal depression and poor academic achievement in adolescence. The pathways to explain the risks are also unclear. Method: Prospective observational data from 5,801 parents and adolescents taking part in a large UK population cohort (Avon-Longitudinal-Study-of-Parents-and-Children) were used to test associations between maternal and paternal depression and anxiety in the perinatal period, executive function (EF) at age 8, and academic achievement at the end of compulsory school at age 16. Results: Adolescents of postnatally depressed mothers were 1.5 times (1.19, 1.94, p = 0.001) as likely as adolescents of nondepressed mothers to fail to achieve a "pass" grade in math; antenatal anxiety was also an independent predictor of poor math. Disruption in different components of EF explained small but significant proportions of these associations: attentional control explained 16% (4%, 27%, p < 0.001) of the association with postnatal depression, and working memory explained 17% (13%, 30%, p = 0.003) of the association with antenatal anxiety. A similar pattern was seen for language grades, but associations were confounded by maternal education. There was no evidence that paternal factors were independently associated with impaired child EF or adolescent exams. Conclusion: Maternal postnatal depression and antenatal anxiety are risk factors for adolescents underachieving in math. Preventing, identifying, and treating maternal mental health in the perinatal period could, therefore, potentially increase adolescents' academic achievement. Different aspects of EF partially mediated these associations. Further work is needed, but if these pathways are causal, improving EF could reduce underachievement in math.

This paper analyses the impact of a UK local authority initiative--Fathers' Friday--aiming to involve fathers in their children's education, which took place in 20 early years' and primary school settings. Whilst the study involved a range of methods, in this paper interview data associated with practitioners' perspectives of the initiative are used. Theoretically, Bernstein's concept of boundary and related notions of classification and framing provide a framework for exploring fathers' positioning, and Bernstein's concept of "voice" helps to explain how relations are repositioned, as fathers engage with settings through their participation in the initiative. The authors' contention is that whilst an existing structure of social relations positions how settings and individuals can relate to one another, experiencing the Fathers' Friday initiative under changed conditions produces a weakened boundary space for fathers, from which "conversations can start". Children themselves form part of this process of redrawing weakened boundaries.

Father involvement in education has been shown to result in a range of positive outcomes for typically developing children. However, the nature of paternal involvement in the education of children with disabilities and especially autism has been under-researched and is little understood. This study aimed to explore the nature of the involvement of 25 UK fathers in the education and their children with autism, aged up to 19 years through the use of semistructured interviews. Findings showed that fathers were highly engaged both directly and indirectly across several dimensions of their children's education and schooling. Key areas of indirect engagement were involvement in administrative processes necessary for securing an appropriate educational placement; facilitating daily access to school and general support of children's progress through attendance at school-based meetings and events. Direct support for learning occurred through homework assistance and working on school-related goal. Findings are discussed in relation to diversity and generative models of fatherhood. Implications for greater father inclusion in the education of children with autism are explored with reference to a gender-differentiated approach.

A meta-analysis was undertaken, including 66 studies, to determine the relationship between father involvement and the educational outcomes of urban school children. Statistical analyses were done to determine the overall impact and specific components of father involvement. The possible differing effects of paternal involvement by race were also examined. The results indicate that the association between father involvement and the educational outcomes of youth overall is significant statistically. Paternal involvement, as a whole, yielded effect sizes of usually just under 0.2 of a standard deviation unit. The positive effects of father involvement held for both White and minority children.

This paper explores the process of going back in qualitative longitudinal research (QLR) to gather later accounts of unfolding personal experiences. The design of interview-based QLR is usually premised on collecting data, over-time, around an unfolding experience or event. This design facilitates the establishment of an on-going research relationship and 'rapport' and the accessing of fluid and time-sensitive accounts of individual experiences, leading to more nuanced understandings of temporal subjectivities. However in practice maintaining a sample in QL research, which may span a number of years, can be challenging and the process of going back, complicated. This paper reflects on issues and responsibilities which can arise when researchers try to access and go back to participants, especially where experiences once optimistically narrated and future-oriented have unfolded in unplanned and personally unwelcome ways. Using researcher experiences and the data from later phases of two UK based QLR studies on transition to first-time motherhood and first-time fatherhood, the practical steps of maintaining contact, reconnecting with participants and going back are documented. How does the passage of time and changes in participant's lives alter research relationships, interpretations of data and researcher responsibilities?

Recent re-conceptualisation of paternal involvement (Pleck, J. H. (2010). Paternal involvement: Revised conceptualization and theoretical linkages with child outcomes. In M. Lamb (Ed.), "The role of the father in child development" (5th ed., pp. 67-107). London: Wiley), while proving fruitful, has yet to be applied to investigations into what extent a father's level of involvement may affect child-peer interactions in the preschool age range, over and above the effects of mother-child attachment quality and socio-economic status (SES). Patterns of associations between attachment quality, sensitivity and general caregiving behaviours have also yet to be compared in equally involved mothers and fathers. Thirty preschool children (17 males:13 females) with similar SES profiles and their immediate caregivers participated in hour-long observations, conducted in the home. Even when attachment quality was controlled for, children with low paternal involvement were found to have higher levels of child-peer aggression. Further, patterns of effects between caregiver sensitivity, child-caregiver attachment quality and general caregiver interactions were similar for equally involved mothers and fathers. These preliminary data support the concept of applying Pleck's (2010) re-conceptualisation of paternal involvement to preschool attachment, and have implications towards the wider study of child-father attachment. Limitations of the current study and directions for future research are discussed.

A structured literature search and thematic analysis of six research articles relating to stress and parenting of a child with an intellectual disability in the United Kingdom identified four key themes: impact upon families, service provision and support networks, coping and transition. The findings identified that parenting a child with an intellectual disability is not always a negative role; it is a role that parents find both rewarding and empowering. However, the findings of the literature review primarily related to mothers of children with an intellectual disability with very little focus on the experiences of fathers.

Fathers' interactions with their young children are understudied. Variations between families in the masculine nurturance of toddlers can be expected, depending on personal characteristics, gender, family structures, and cultural contexts in which they are situated. This is a qualitative study, focusing on probing the nature of the exchanges between female toddlers and their male caregivers, to gain an understanding of the dynamic nature of these interchanges. We observed four thriving 30-month-old girls in Italy, the UK, Peru, and Thailand, wherein filmed transactions between them and their fathers and grandfathers during one "Day in their Lives" were observed, documented, and analysed. The case studies of these young girls demonstrated considerable agency in their interactions with their caregivers, which were, in part, responsible for a wide range of promotive nurturance styles in the adults.

Findings are presented on a U.K. study of 41 gay father families, 40 lesbian mother families, and 49 heterosexual parent families with an adopted child aged 3-9 years. Standardized interview and observational and questionnaire measures of parental well-being, quality of parent-child relationships, child adjustment, and child sex-typed behavior were administered to parents, children, and teachers. The findings indicated more positive parental well-being and parenting in gay father families compared to heterosexual parent families. Child externalizing problems were greater among children in heterosexual families. Family process variables, particularly parenting stress, rather than family type were found to be predictive of child externalizing problems. The findings contribute to theoretical understanding of the role of parental gender and parental sexual orientation in child development.

Purpose: This study assessed mothers' opinions about the feasibility and acceptability of using the ActiGraph GT3X+, Actiheart, and activPAL3 with their 2- to 3-year-old children, as well as with themselves and their husbands/partners, for an 8-day period. Method: Six focus groups were run with Pakistani and White British mothers ("n" = 17), in English or Urdu, at Children's Centers in Bradford, United Kingdom. Each accelerometer was shown to the mothers while its characteristics and wearing procedures were explained. Mothers were then asked about their opinion on the feasibility of use with their toddlers, themselves, and husbands/partners, as well as their monitor preference. Data were transcribed "verbatim" and analyzed through thematic analysis. Results: The ActiGraph was the most preferred accelerometer for use with children, while the Actiheart was the least favorable. The ActiGraph was also the most preferred accelerometer for use with both mothers and fathers. Main issues raised included unsuitability of the Actiheart for fathers due to chest hair, discomfort due to the large size of the activPAL3 in relation to children's thighs, and children pulling off the Actiheart or tampering with the device if its presence was noticed (ActiGraph/Actiheart). Conclusion: The most preferred/accepted accelerometer overall was the ActiGraph GT3X+ for both children and parents. Issues raised with the devices have potential to impact recruitment and compliance rates of studies targeting this population, which highlights the importance of assessing the feasibility/acceptability of different devices with the target population ahead of planning research involving physical activity measurement.

Background: Factors related to parents and parenting capacities are important predictors of the development of behavioural problems in children. Recently, there has been an increasing research focus in this field on the earliest years of life, however, relatively few studies have addressed the role of fathers, despite this appearing to be particularly pertinent to child behavioural development. This study aimed to examine whether father-infant interactions at age 3 months independently predicted child behavioural problems at 1 year of age. Method: A sample of 192 families was recruited from two maternity units in the United Kingdom. Father-infant interactions were assessed in the family home and coded using the Global Rating Scales. Child behaviour problems were assessed by maternal report. Hierarchical and logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations between father-infant interaction and the development of behavioural problems. Results: Disengaged and remote interactions between fathers and their infants were found to predict externalising behavioural problems at the age of 1 year. The children of the most disengaged fathers had an increased risk of developing early externalising behavioural problems [disengaged (nonintrusive) interactions--adjusted Odds Ratio 5.33 (95% Confidence Interval; 1.39, 20.40): remote interactions adj. OR 3.32 (0.92, 12.05)] Conclusions: Disengaged interactions of fathers with their infants, as early as the third month of life, predict early behavioural problems in children. These interactions may be critical factors to address, from a very early age in the child's life, and offer a potential opportunity for preventive intervention. (Contains 5 tables.)

Taking a longitudinal perspective, we tested a developmental-contextual model of entrepreneurship in a nationally representative sample. Following the lives of 6,116 young people in the 1970 British Birth Cohort from birth to age 34, we examined the role of socioeconomic background, parental role models, academic ability, social skills, and self-concepts as well as entrepreneurial intention expressed during adolescence as predictors of entrepreneurship by age 34. Entrepreneurship was defined by employment status (being self-employed and owning a business). For both men and women, becoming an entrepreneur was associated with social skills and entrepreneurial intentions expressed at age 16. In addition, we found gender-specific pathways. For men, becoming an entrepreneur was predicted by having a self-employed father; for women, it was predicted by their parents' socioeconomic resources. These findings point to conjoint influences of both social structure and individual agency in shaping occupational choice and implementation. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

Whereas most resident fathers are able to spend more time with their children on weekends than on weekdays, many fathers work on the weekends, spending less time with their children on these days. There are conflicting findings about whether fathers are able to make up for lost weekend time on weekdays. Using unique features of the United Kingdom's National Survey of Time Use 2000, the author examined the impact of fathers' weekend work on the time fathers spend with their children, family, and partners (N = 595 fathers). The results revealed that weekend work is common among fathers and is associated with less time with children, families, and partners. Fathers do not recover lost time with children on weekdays, largely because weekend work is a symptom of overwork. The findings also revealed that even if fathers had compensatory time, they are unlikely to recover lost time spent as a family or couple. (Contains 7 tables.)

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 may improve knowledge about, and attitudes to, parenting. Future interventions should incorporate elements of promising parenting interventions with young fathers in the community, for example, and/or with older incarcerated parents. Young offender fathers have specific developmental, rehabilitative, and contextual needs. Future evaluations should collect longer-term behavioural parent and child outcome data and should use comparison groups and, ideally, randomization. (Contains 3 tables.)

Findings presented here relate to the evaluation of an innovative one-year pilot project in an area of multiple deprivation in the north of England, the goal of which was to engage fathers and male carers in their children's transition from an early years setting to formal schooling to enhance children's enjoyment, achievement and learning at this critical early stage of development. The project was successful in engaging men, recording 76 male attendances at activities during the project period, 19 of which were recorded at school-based activities, following transition. Strategies found to be effective in engaging men at a strategic level were partnership working with an expert agency on male inclusion and the use of a highly gender differentiated approach. At an operational level, successful approaches included the use of a highly individualized, strengths-based, empowerment orientated approach, within a partnership context, implemented by an extremely skilled Fathers Transition Worker, complemented by intensive follow-up contact via mobile phone, the use of male orientated activities and the engagement of mothers, as well as fathers.

The authors examine variation in employed fathers' time with children ages 0 to 14 years, using time use surveys from the United States (2003), Germany (2001), Norway (2000), and the United Kingdom (2000). They examine levels of father involvement and mechanisms associated involvement on both weekdays (N = 4,192) and weekends (N = 3,024). They find some evidence of "new fathers" on weekends in all countries. Fathers spend more time on interactive care and more time alone with children on weekends than on weekdays. Only Norwegian fathers, however, increase both their participation in and time spent on physical care. American and British fathers' time with children, however, is more responsive to partners' employment. (Contains 6 tables and 5 notes.)

This study explored reciprocal associations between paternal child-care involvement and relationship quality by following British couples from the birth of a child until he or she reached school age. It extends the literature by distinguishing between paternal engagement in absolute terms and relative to the mother and by considering relationship quality reports of mothers and fathers and family breakdown. The analysis was based on the British Millennium Cohort Study, a representative survey of children born in 2000 and 2001 and their parents (N = 5,624 couples). The author applied ordinary least squares regression analysis with lagged dependent variables and event history modeling. Fathers' relative child-care share was positively associated with mothers' relationship satisfaction, whereas fathers' absolute child-care frequency was positively related to their own perceived relationship quality for most time periods. Fathers' relative and absolute child-care contributions were positively associated with relationship stability over the preschool years. Greater perceived relationship quality of mothers, but not fathers, was associated with more frequent paternal engagement.

Until recently, children and young people's experiences of international migration and mobility have received minimal attention. Young migrants are either neglected in migration and childhood/youth studies or depicted in theoretically essentialist frameworks as model or problem ethnic minorities. This paper focuses on a neglected issue with respect to an invisible ethnic group in the British context by examining the subjective meanings of crossing borders among young Turkish migrants into Britain. This study's empirical component is based on semi-structured interviews with 12 participants (six male and six female) between 16 and 21 years old. A narrative-based qualitative method was used to analyse interview transcripts, and particular attention is given to the content of participants' stories. The following three themes were chosen to re-present these young people's experiences on moving to the UK: the process of decision-making, initial experiences in the UK and family relationships after migration. The findings are discussed with reference to the relevant literature, policy-making and possible means of supporting young migrants. (Contains 1 table.)

Objective: This study aimed to identify predictors of controlling feeding practices in both mothers and fathers of young children. Design: Cross-sectional, questionnaire design. Setting: Nursery schools within the United Kingdom recruited participants. Participants: Ninety-six mothers and fathers comprising 48 mother-father pairs of male and female children aged 2 to 5 years. Main Outcome Measures: Parents' child feeding practices, eating psychopathology, general mental health symptomology, and their children's eating behaviors and temperament. Analysis: Preliminary correlations; stepwise regressions. Results: Maternal controlling feeding was predicted by children's eating behaviors (emotional over- and undereating), child temperament (sociability), and maternal general mental health symptoms. Paternal reports of children's eating behaviors (slow eating and emotional undereating) were the only significant predictors of fathers' controlling feeding practices. Conclusions and Implications: Mothers' and fathers' feeding practices seem to be better linked to child characteristics than to the presence of eating psychopathology symptoms. Children's emotional eating predicted all 3 controlling feeding practices in mothers and warrants further study to elucidate the causal nature of this relationship. (Contains 3 tables.)

This is the first investigation of the relationship between parental age and extreme social-communicative autistic traits in the general population. The parents of 5,246 children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) completed the Social and Communication Disorders Checklist (SCDC). The association between parental age and SCDC scores was assessed in the full sample and among high scoring individuals (e.g. top 5%, 1%). There was no association between parental age and social-communicative autistic traits in the general population. Neither maternal nor paternal age was associated with extreme scores. These findings suggest that advanced parental age does not confer increased risk for extreme social and communication impairment assessed quantitatively. (Contains 2 figures.)

This article takes an intergenerational lens to the study of fathers. It draws on evidence from two economic and social research council-funded intergenerational studies of fathers, one of which focused on four-generation British families and the other which included new migrant (Polish) fathers. The article suggests both patterns of change and continuity in fatherhood across the generations. It demonstrates how cultural forces and material conditions need to combine to facilitate change in fathers' exercise of agency and how social class and the conditions of being a migrant shape fathers' practices. It argues that in seeking to recast the public debate about parenting, it is necessary to penetrate below the discursive level of talk about parenting to examine the habitual nature of many family practices, an endeavour to which an intergenerational approach is well suited. This approach enabled us to tease out the horizontal pull of within-generation influences on fathers, the vertical pull of inheritance from older to younger generations and the material and cultural conditions of fathers' current locations, all of which shape their practices. This analysis also alerted us to changes in conceptual language--not only from fatherhood to fathering--but also to the historical resilience of the concept of childcare as reserved largely for the role and practices of mothers. (Contains 2 notes.)

We investigated how mothers' and fathers' depressed mood and father-child and mother-child relationship predicted preschool children's problem behavior. The sample was 11,286 continuously intact, two-parent biological families of the United Kingdom's Millennium Cohort Study. We found that mother-child relationship and maternal depressed mood had larger effects on children's problem behavior than father-child relationship and paternal depressed mood. The effect of paternal depressed mood was completely mediated by quality of father-child relationship. There were significant moderator effects but only on internalizing problems. There was little evidence to suggest that, among children of this developmental stage, quality of father-child relationship buffers the effect of contextual risk (i.e., promotes resilience). Quality of mother-child relationship, in contrast, buffered the effect of socioeconomic disadvantage but only on emotional symptoms. (Contains 6 figures and 1 table.)

There are manifold benefits of parental involvement in a child's education, but there is evidence of gender imbalances in parental involvement. This article describes research into fathers' involvement with educational psychologists (EPs) working with children undergoing statutory assessment. A content analysis of children's files from one educational psychology service was conducted to assess the level of paternal involvement in EPs' work, and semi-structured interviews with eight fathers were used to identify factors that affected their involvement with EPs' work. Fathers were less involved than mothers, and a number of factors affecting fathers' involvement was identified. The discussion of findings is informed by Community Psychology, Ecosystemic Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and strategies to promote paternal involvement are identified. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)

In a sample of 7,695 families in the prospective, nationally representative British Millennium Cohort Study, this study examined whether characteristics of the 1st-born child predicted parents' timing and probability of having another child within 5 years after the 1st child's birth. Infant temperament was assessed with the Carey Infant Temperament Scale (Carey, 1972; Carey & McDevitt, 1978) at age 9 months, childhood socioemotional and behavioral characteristics with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 2001), and childhood cognitive ability with the Bracken School Readiness Assessment (Bracken, 2002) test at age 3 years. Survival analysis modeling indicated that the 1st child's low reactivity to novelty in infancy, high prosociality, low conduct problems, and high cognitive ability in childhood were associated with increased probability of parents having another child. Except for reactivity to novelty, these associations became stronger with time. High emotional symptoms were also positively associated with childbearing, but this was likely to reflect reverse causality--that is, the effect of sibling birth on the 1st child's adjustment. The results suggest that child effects, particularly those related to the child's cognitive ability, adaptability to novelty, and prosocial behavior, may be relevant to parents' future childbearing. (Contains 2 figures and 5 tables.)

Background: Despite extensive efforts, the causes of autism remain unknown. Advancing paternal age has been associated with various neurodevelopmental disorders. We aim to investigate three unresolved questions: (a) What is the association between paternal age and autism spectrum disorders (ASD)?; (b) Does paternal age moderate the genetic and environmental etiological factors for ASD? (c) Does paternal age affect normal variation in autistic-like traits? Methods: Two nationally representative twin studies from Sweden (n = 11, 122, assessed at age 9 or 12) and the UK (n = 13, 524, assessed at age 9) were used. Categorical and continuous measures of ASD, autistic-like traits and autistic similarity were calculated and compared over paternal age categories. Results: Both cohorts showed a strong association between paternal age and the risk for ASD. A U-shaped risk association could be discerned since the offspring of both the youngest and oldest fathers showed an elevation in the risk for ASD. Autistic similarity increased with advancing paternal age in both monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Both cohorts showed significantly higher autistic-like traits in the offspring of the youngest and oldest fathers. Conclusions: Phenomena associated with paternal age are clearly involved in the trajectories leading to autistic-like traits and ASD. Mechanisms influencing the trajectories might differ between older and younger fathers. Molecular genetic studies are now needed in order to further understand the association between paternal age and ASD, as well as normal variation in social, language, and repetitive behaviors in the general population.

Teenage pregnancy prevention programmes targeted at young women have received considerable attention from researchers and programme developers. However, to date, relatively limited information is available on preventing teenage fatherhood or improving outcomes for young fathers. A notable gap is concerned with understanding the forms of sexual health programmes that are most effective from the perspective of young men. We conducted a systematic mapping to identify studies involving young men aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy, improving outcomes for teenage fathers or exploring the perspectives of young men around pregnancy and fatherhood. We searched a wide range of electronic databases from January 1996 to August 2008. Three quantitative and 15 qualitative studies were identified, of which nine were UK based. Key themes related to the inappropriateness of current sexual health promotion to respond to the needs of young men. While young men often possessed very similar ideals to young women, existing programmes were problematic when they negatively stereotyped young men and ineffectively addressed models of masculinity or the difficulties young men may have forming meaningful relationships. Further investigations are required on programme development for young men, particularly on sexual health promotion interventions for "looked-after" young men and those from unstable childhoods.

Positive father involvement and investment in the early years is of importance for children's later emotional, cognitive and social well-being. This article critically examines the multiple motivations and barriers experienced by the growing number of father primary carers. The small-scale research study presented suggests that for a "positive culture shift" towards fathers in the UK to occur, early childhood services need to question the extent to which they are "father friendly". Research suggests that policy initiatives such as a "Daddy month" (found in Canada and most Nordic countries) may encourage much needed attitudinal shifts towards fathers by legitimizing their caring activities. Other initiatives that encourage father primary carers in their role may include the recruitment of professional male early childhood workers. (Contains 4 notes.)

The aim of this study was to examine whether there was variation in levels of psychological adjustment among children conceived through Assisted Reproductive Technologies using the parents' gametes (homologous), sperm donation, egg donation, embryo donation and surrogacy. Information was provided by parents about the psychological functioning of 769 children aged 5 to 9 years who had been born using ART (from the five groups described). Comparisons were made between the different conception groups, to UK national norms and, for a sub-sample of multiple births, to an age-matched twin sample. No differences were found between the conception groups except that fathers from the egg donation group rated children higher in conduct problems compared to other ART groups. No effects were observed by ART treatment type (ICSI vs. IVF, GIFT and IUI). There was some evidence of lower conduct problems and prosocial behaviour among children conceived through homologous IVF compared to national norms. Taken together, however, consistent differences between groups and in comparison to naturally conceived children were not apparent for mother- or father-rated adjustment problems. Children conceived with assisted reproductive technologies, regardless of whether they are genetically related or unrelated to their parents or born by gestational surrogacy do not differ in their levels of psychological adjustment. Nor do they appear to be at greater risk of psychological adjustment problems in middle childhood compared to naturally conceived children. (Contains 3 tables.)