The Influence of Fathers' Antisocial Behavior on Their Involvement With Children - CANCELLED

• In Event: Poster Session 2

Abstract

For a long time, research on parenting had focused solely on motherhood and its effects on family outcomes and positive child development. However, in recent years, fathers’ role in family well-being has been recognized among scholars from various disciplines, such as demography, psychology, family studies, social work, and criminology. Becoming a parent is a major life transition, and how parents adapt to their new role is influenced by various factors. For fathers, these factors include the relationship with the child’s mother, their family background, and how they are positioned within their social contexts. Yet having a history of antisocial behavior may hamper the ability of fathers to parent their children in entirely positive ways. Using Wave 6 of the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), I examine the association between fathers’ antisocial behavior and their involvement with their children, and the role of social support in facilitating father-child relationships. I also situate this study in a life course framework and examine whether the timing of fatherhood is a key factor that affects father-child relationships. This study contributes to criminology and family sociology by exploring the complex relationship between antisocial behavior, social support, and father involvement with their children.

Author

• Anna Belykh, Bowling Green State University