What are the parenting experiences of fathers? The use of household survey data to inform decisions about the delivery of evidence-based parenting interventions to fathers.
Participants were 933 fathers participating in a large-scale household survey of parenting practices in Queensland Australia. Although the majority of fathers reported having few problems with their children, a significant minority reported behavioral and emotional problems and 5% reported that their child showed a potentially problematic level of oppositional and defiant behavior. Reports of child problems were associated with fathers' levels of personal stress and socioeconomic disadvantage. Approximately half of all fathers reported the use of one or more coercive parenting strategies (shouting and yelling, hitting the child with their hand or with an object) with fathers' use of hitting being associated with child behavior difficulties. Fathers reported low rates of help seeking or participation in parenting courses, with socially disadvantaged fathers being less likely to complete parenting programs than other fathers. Implications for research on increasing fathers' participation rates in parenting programs are discussed and directions for future research highlighted.
Sanders
Matthew R
MR
Parenting and Family Support Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia. matts@psy.uq.edu.au
Dittman
Cassandra K
CK
Keown
Louise J
LJ
Farruggia
Sue
S
Rose
Dennis
D
D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003625:Data Collection; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011793:Queensland; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 1998 Mar;1(1):23-40
11324075
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1995 Apr;34(4):499-509
7751264
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2009 May;38(3):315-28
19437293
J Clin Child Psychol. 1997 Dec;26(4):415-23
9418180
J Fam Psychol. 2008 Oct;22(5):742-51
18855510
J Fam Psychol. 2005 Jun;19(2):237-45
15982101
Lancet. 2005 Jun 25-Jul 1;365(9478):2201-5
15978928
J Fam Psychol. 2004 Dec;18(4):628-38
15598168
J Genet Psychol. 2004 Jun;165(2):169-83
15259875
J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1996 Aug;24(4):513-32
8886946
J Fam Psychol. 2008 Aug;22(4):506-17
18729665
Dev Psychol. 1998 Mar;34(2):264-75
9541779
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1993 Nov;32(6):1207-16
8282666
Clin Psychol Rev. 2004 Jul;24(3):339-60
15245835
J Consult Clin Psychol. 1991 Dec;59(6):813-20
1774366
Pediatrics. 2005 Mar;115(3):e331-7
15741359
Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 1998 Mar;1(1):41-60
11324077
J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2004 Apr;32(2):203-13
15164861
Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2001 Dec;35(6):806-14
11990891
J Pediatr Psychol. 2005 Dec;30(8):631-43
15772363
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1999 Sep;40(6):917-27
10509886
J Fam Psychol. 2007 Dec;21(4):683-93
18179340
Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2008 Aug;17(5):306-15
18365134
J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1997 Oct;25(5):345-57
9421744
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2002 Mar;31(1):130-46
11845645
J Fam Psychol. 2005 Jun;19(2):208-16
15982096
Dev Psychopathol. 2000 Winter;12(1):23-45
10774594
Child Care Health Dev. 2007 Nov;33(6):768-83
17944787
Psychol Bull. 1990 Sep;108(2):267-90
2236384
Prev Sci. 2005 Dec;6(4):287-304
16160760
J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2008 Jan;37(1):215-37
18444059
J Genet Psychol. 1998 Sep;159(3):353-66
9729841