Divorce May Widen Distance Between Teens, Fathers

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0109094337.htm

Divorce May Widen Distance Between Teens, Fathers
ScienceDaily (Jan. 11, 2008) - The typical distancing from parents by
adolescents is exacerbated by divorce for fathers, but not for mothers,
according to a recent study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.

"Historically, teens distance themselves from parents and increase
involvement with peers," says co-author Dr. Alan Booth, distinguished
professor of sociology, human development and demography at Penn State.
"Coupled with divorce, this distancing may result in further declines in
father-child closeness."

Although research demonstrates that fathers' involvement with children has
increased in recent decades, mothers continue to do the majority of
childcare while fathers are the less involved parent.

Parental divorce creates an immense pressure to decrease father-child
closeness, supplemented by the many barriers created by a father's physical
separation from the children. Fathers, who often are the less involved
parent before divorce, would have to increase their investment in the
relationship just to maintain pre-divorce levels of closeness, which the
vast majority of fathers do not do, according to the study.

"Therefore, fathers are at a disadvantage in closeness to start, and then
divorce makes it even more challenging to be close," say the researchers.

The team comprising Mindy Scott of Child Trends and Booth, Valarie King and
David Johnson, all faculty at Penn State, examined information reported by
high school students participating in the National Longitudinal Study of
Adolescent health.

A sub-sample of youth, drawn from a nationally representative sample, was
interviewed at the beginning and the end of a five-year period. Reports from
youth whose parents remained married were compared with reports from youth
whose parents were divorced by end of the period.

Prior to divorce, 71 percent of youth reported being very close to their
mothers, while 57 percent reported being very close to their fathers.

The teens' withdrawal from fathers was much more severe among those youths
with divorced parents (56 percent) than among those with non-divorced
parents (28 percent), the study says.

The proportion of youths who reported a consistently close relationship with
their father was much higher among those with still-married parents (48
percent) than among those with divorced parents (25 percent).

There was no significant difference in the change in closeness to mothers
reported by youths in either group.

"Those teens who maintained a close relationship with their father had a
stronger mother-child bond and a greater sense of well-being, defined as
feelings about relationship qualities and perception's of their own
qualities and abilities," Booth notes.

He adds, "Future research may look at information directly from the fathers
about their evaluation of father-child closeness and his views of
opportunities and constraints affecting before and after-divorce closeness
with their children."

--
Any man that's good enough to pay child support is good enough to have
custody of such child.
"Dusty" wrote in message
...
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0109094337.htm

Divorce May Widen Distance Between Teens, Fathers
ScienceDaily (Jan. 11, 2008) - The typical distancing from parents by
adolescents is exacerbated by divorce for fathers, but not for mothers,
according to a recent study published in the Journal of Marriage and
Family.

"Historically, teens distance themselves from parents and increase
involvement with peers," says co-author Dr. Alan Booth, distinguished
professor of sociology, human development and demography at Penn State.
"Coupled with divorce, this distancing may result in further declines in
father-child closeness."

Although research demonstrates that fathers' involvement with children has
increased in recent decades, mothers continue to do the majority of
childcare while fathers are the less involved parent.

Parental divorce creates an immense pressure to decrease father-child
closeness, supplemented by the many barriers created by a father's
physical separation from the children. Fathers, who often are the less
involved parent before divorce, would have to increase their investment in
the relationship just to maintain pre-divorce levels of closeness, which
the vast majority of fathers do not do, according to the study.

"Therefore, fathers are at a disadvantage in closeness to start, and then
divorce makes it even more challenging to be close," say the researchers.

The team comprising Mindy Scott of Child Trends and Booth, Valarie King
and David Johnson, all faculty at Penn State, examined information
reported by high school students participating in the National
Longitudinal Study of Adolescent health.

A sub-sample of youth, drawn from a nationally representative sample, was
interviewed at the beginning and the end of a five-year period. Reports
from youth whose parents remained married were compared with reports from
youth whose parents were divorced by end of the period.

Prior to divorce, 71 percent of youth reported being very close to their
mothers, while 57 percent reported being very close to their fathers.

The teens' withdrawal from fathers was much more severe among those youths
with divorced parents (56 percent) than among those with non-divorced
parents (28 percent), the study says.

The proportion of youths who reported a consistently close relationship
with their father was much higher among those with still-married parents
(48 percent) than among those with divorced parents (25 percent).

There was no significant difference in the change in closeness to mothers
reported by youths in either group.

"Those teens who maintained a close relationship with their father had a
stronger mother-child bond and a greater sense of well-being, defined as
feelings about relationship qualities and perception's of their own
qualities and abilities," Booth notes.

He adds, "Future research may look at information directly from the
fathers about their evaluation of father-child closeness and his views of
opportunities and constraints affecting before and after-divorce closeness
with their children."

A long long time ago, divorce used to be a separation between a husband and
wife only. Now it is a separation between a husband and wife/children.
Gee, I didn't know that fathers make marriage vows with their children. What
am I missing here?