Boston, MA–“Children with fathers are less likely to commit crimes or engage in aggressive behavior, are less likely to become homeless later in life, have significantly higher IQs, have fewer psychological problems, are less likely to use tobacco, and have better relationships and educational outcomes than are their fatherless counterparts.”
Hard on the heels of government studies of teen violence in Ontario and Massachusetts that paid little heed to the importance of fathers in the lives of their children comes a systematic study of the scientific literature to date. And surprise of surprises, it shows what we already know – that father engagement is vital to children”s wellbeing.
The study is an analysis of scientific literature performed in 2003 and updated in 2007 by social scientists from Sweden and Australia. Their findings were published in the journal Acta Paediatrica of June, 2008. The link is here.
It reviews longitudinal studies comprising over 22,000 datasets and finds that children who live with fathers who are actively engaged in their lives and care tend to do better than those without.
Specifically, children with fathers are less likely to commit crimes or engage in aggressive behavior, are less likely to become homeless later in life, have significantly higher IQs, have fewer psychological problems, are less likely to use tobacco, and have better relationships and educational outcomes than are their fatherless counterparts.
Eighteen of the studies controlled for SES (socio-economic status), so the findings do not merely reflect the better outcomes of more privileged children.
As the authors state, “father engagement positively affects the social behavioural, psychological and cognitive outcomes of children.’
Someone should let lawmakers, courts and the media in on the secret.
But, as the authors also add with typical scientific understatement, “unfortunately, current institutional policies in most countries do not support the increased involvement of fathers in child rearing.’
The systematic separation and exclusion of fathers from the lives of their children is one of the great scandals of our time. Someday we will look back on the present and shake our heads in disbelief at current policies that are bad for fathers, bad for children, bad for mothers, and bad for society.
Long-term scientific studies like this one tell us a truth that will over time displace the fictions we”ve been living with for so long.