Engaging Fathers in the Post-Divorce Family

Bibliographic Data

ID11220573
AuthorsSanford L Braver (Arizona State University, corresponding author), William A Griffin (0000-0002-0976-3851, Arizona State University)
Year2000
Volume29
Issue4
Pages247-267
Publication date2000-06-05
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMarriage & Family Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0149-4929 • E-ISSN: 1540-9635
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1300/j002v29n04_02
OpenAlexW2056080252
LanguageEN
Citations received26
References cited41

Data we collected in longitudinal and cross-sectional studies of divorcing families provide an empirical basis for understanding the dynamics of divorced fathering. Our findings focus on the difficult circumstances of divorced fathers, rather than on their defective characters. We find that fathers continue visiting and paying at high levels when they perceive that they retain some degree of paternal authority. The loss of this sense of paternal authority appears to occur, in part, because fathers perceive that the legal system and their divorce settlements were unfair to them. We also find that the custodial mother, who sometimes sees little value in the father's involvement, limits the father's role within the post-divorce family. These findings formed the theoretical foundation for an intervention we developed for recently divorced fathers called DADS FOR LIFE. This 8-week program focuses on retraining divorced fathers' attitudes and motivations by teaching them skills to manage conflict with the custodial mother, and giving them parenting tools to use during visitation. We are in the process of a randomized trial to evaluate this program

Developmental psychology · Foundation (evidence · Intervention (counseling · Political science · Retraining · Value (mathematics · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Psychology · Reproductive Health and Technologies · Social Psychology

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