African American fathers and incarceration: paternal involvement and child outcomes

Parent-Adult Child Estrangement in the United States by Gender, Race/ethnicity, and Sexuality

Objective

To provide nationally-representative estimates of parent-adult child estrangement.

Background

Population-level research is needed on parent-adult child estrangement to understand the full range of family dynamics in the U.S.

Method

We estimate logistic regression models using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Child and Young Adult supplement to determine estimates of estrangement (and subsequent unestrangement) from mothers (N=8,495) and fathers (N=8,119) by children's gender, race/ethnicity, and sexuality. We then estimate hazards of first estrangement from mothers (N = 7,919) and fathers (N = 6,410), adjusting for adult child's and parents' social and economic characteristics.

Results

Six percent of respondents report a period of estrangement from mothers, with an average age of first maternal estrangement of 26 years old; 26 percent of respondents report estrangement from fathers, with an average age of first paternal estrangement of 23 years old. Results further show heterogeneity by gender, race/ethnicity, and sexuality; for example, daughters are less likely to be estranged from their mothers than are sons, Black adult children are less likely than White adult children to be estranged from their mothers but more likely to be estranged from fathers, and gay, lesbian, and bisexual adult children are more likely than heterosexuals to be estranged from fathers. The majority of estranged adult children become unestranged from mothers (81%) and fathers (69%) in subsequent waves.

Conclusion

This study provides compelling new evidence on an overlooked aspect of intergenerational relationships, concluding with insight into the structural forces that unequally contribute to estrangement patterns.

Contributions of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to Child Development

We describe the promise of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) for developmental researchers. FFCWS is a birth cohort study of 4,898 children born in 1998-2000 in large US cities. This prospective national study collected data on children and parents at birth and during infancy (age 1), toddlerhood (age 3), early childhood (age 5), middle childhood (age 9), adolescence (age 15), and, in progress, young adulthood (age 22). Though FFCWS was created to understand the lives of unmarried parent families, its comprehensive data on parents, children, and contexts can be used to explore many other developmental questions. We identify six opportunities for developmentalists: (a) analyzing developmental trajectories, identifying the importance of the timing of exposures for later development, (c) documenting bidirectional influences on development, (d) understanding development in context, (e) identifying biological moderators and mechanisms, and ( f ) using an urban-born cohort that is large, diverse, and prospective.

Father-child attachment in Black families: Risk and protective processes

Theoretical and empirical work on Black fathering has been grounded in a deficit perspective. Scholarship has focused on absenteeism and incarceration of Black fathers, neglecting their positive roles as well as the structural inequalities and challenges Black fathers face. This paper highlights the significance of positive fathering in Black youth development, with a focus on the protective influences of attachment relationships. Structural and proximal processes that may support or undermine this relationship are delineated, as well as how theory and methods on attachment can be extended to support research on Black families and youth development. Culturally and contextually grounded research on Black fathering may lead to refinement in theory and measurement of attachment. Advancing research on father-child relationships in Black families requires greater attention to processes that promote positive fathering and strengthen father-child attachment bonds, particularly in the context of structural racism.

Correlates of Incarceration of Fathers, Socioeconomic Influences, and Mental Illness

The United States leads globally in incarceration. Incarceration can disrupt families in both immediate and long-term ways, including finances and mental illness. We examined the relationship between father incarceration during adolescence and the development of mental illness in adulthood as well as the relationship of household assets and debts in relation to the mental illness outcomes. Wave IV data of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were used with a final analytic sample of 2129 participants. Data were analyzed using MANOVA in Stata 13.1. The findings indicated that biological father incarceration correlates with more adolescent mental illness. Enhanced model residuals were also significant for father incarceration, household assets, and household debts. Incarceration of biological fathers correlates with poorer mental health outcomes. Household assets and debts correlate with changes in adolescent outcomes as well, giving us more target areas for intervention development and testing. Clinically, assessing for adolescent experiences with father incarceration may be useful in supporting improved mental health over the life course. Policy work should give more attention to promotion of health and well-being of adolescents via reduction of the negative experience of fathers serving and/or having served time in prison. More discussion on family-level assets and debts is warranted to promote health and well-being for adolescents and adults.

Marital and Romantic Satisfaction among Older African Americans

There remains a lack of knowledge on marital satisfaction of African Americans in general and this is particularly the case for older African Americans. In addition, only a handful of studies investigate satisfaction among couples who are unmarried. Using data from the National Survey of American Life, this study examined the correlates of romantic and marital satisfaction among older African Americans. Findings reveal that married older African Americans were slightly more satisfied with their relationship than individuals who were either remarried or unmarried but in a romantic relationship. Among older African American married adults, older age was associated with higher marital satisfaction, and men had higher levels of marital satisfaction than women. Also, married older African Americans with lower family incomes reported higher marital satisfaction. Region was the only variable significantly associated with romantic satisfaction indicating higher satisfaction for Southerners as compared to those living in the Northeast. Given the limited research on older African Americans couples, either married or unmarried, this study offers valuable implications for individuals and professionals engaging these couples in practice settings.

Posttraumatic Slave Syndrome, the Patriarchal Nuclear Family Structure, and African American Male-Female Relationships

African American marriages and relationships have strived to model the white patriarchal nuclear family model, but the experiences of slavery and contemporary structural racism have prevented the attainment of this model. Posttraumatic slave syndrome offers a framework that allows social workers to place African American experiences within a trauma-informed perspective and think about their implication for trauma-specific interventions. This article provides a brief overview of the traumatic experiences of African Americans as they relate to African American relationships, integrates the historical experiences of African Americans into a trauma-informed perspective to help social workers recognize the manifestations of trauma in African American relationships, and discusses implications for trauma-specific interventions to strengthen African American relationships.

PATERNIDADES ENCARCERADAS: REVISÃO SISTEMÁTICA SOBRE A PATERNIDADE NO CONTEXTO DO CÁRCERE

Resumo Este estudo teve por objetivo realizar uma revisão sistemática da literatura sobre a paternidade no contexto do cárcere, a fim de identificar qual o panorama internacional de publicações sobre a temática. A partir da busca em bases de dados internacionais de artigos publicados na íntegra entre 2005 e 2016, identificou-se a coexistência de estudos que compreenderam a paternidade de um modo tradicional, pautada prioritariamente na capacidade de ser provedor, bem como estudos que, sustentados por uma abordagem de gênero, buscaram problematizar os lugares socialmente determinados do pai na família. Considerando as limitações impostas pelos modelos estereotipados e considerando que a prisão reproduz as desigualdades de gênero impostas pela sociedade mais ampla, pontuamos que o estímulo à vivência de uma paternidade mais afetiva e cuidadora pode produzir mudanças não só dentro do contexto do cárcere, mas também no mundo fora das grades.

Infectious Diseases and the Criminal Justice System

The United States leads the world in incarceration, which disproportionately affects disadvantaged individuals, including those who are mentally ill, poor, homeless and racial minorities. Incarceration is disruptive to families and communities and contributes to health disparities in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The objective of this grand rounds is to review (1) the epidemiology of incarceration in the United States, (2) the social factors which contribute to high rates of STIs in incarcerated individuals and (3) the HIV care cascade in incarcerated and recently released individuals. Routine screening and treatment for STIs and HIV in the criminal justice system can identify many new infections and has the potential to both improve individual outcomes and reduce transmission to others. Increased collaboration between the department of health and department of corrections, as well as partnerships between academic institutions and the criminal justice system, have the potential to improve outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Parenting Needs of Urban, African American Fathers

Fathers play a critical role in children's development; similarly, fatherhood positively affects men's health. Among the larger population of fathers relatively little is known about the parenting knowledge of urban, African American fathers. Focusing on urban, African American fathers, the objectives of this study were to (1) understand the primary sources from which fathers learn about parenting, (2) determine where and how fathers prefer to receive future parenting education, and (3) explore the information perceived as most valuable to fathers and how this compares with the recommended anticipatory guidance (Bright Futures-based) delivered during well visits. Five focus groups, with a total of 21 participants, were conducted with urban fathers at a community-based organization. Study eligibility included being more than 18 years old, English speaking, and having at least one child 0 to 5 years old. During the focus groups, fathers were asked where they received parenting information, how and where they preferred to receive parenting information, and what they thought about Bright Futures parenting guidelines. Fathers most commonly described receiving parenting information from their own relatives rather than from their child's health care provider. Most fathers preferred to learn parenting from a person rather than a technology-based source and expressed interest in learning more about parenting at community-based locations. Although fathers viewed health care providers' role as primarily teaching about physical health, they valued Bright Futures anticipatory guidance about parenting. Fathers valued learning about child rearing, health, and development. Augmenting physician counseling about Bright Futures with community-based parenting education may be beneficial for fathers.

The impact of family and parental education on adolescents' substance use: a study of U.S. high school seniors

This study explores the impact of family structure and parental education on adolescents' substance use using a racially diverse sample of 14,268, 12th-grade high school adolescents. Findings reveal that family structure affects adolescents' substance use. In addition, racial differences are noted. African American adolescents report a relatively lower rate of substance use compared to White and Hispanic adolescents, yet they are gravely affected by substance use outcomes. The study lends further support that family structure and parental education variables may buffer adolescents from substance abuse influences. Implications for practice and policy are discussed.

Even with the best of intentions: paternal involvement and the theory of planned behavior

Implicit in much of the fatherhood discourse is the assumption that if fathers want to take an active role in their children's lives, they could and would do so. While research has highlighted the factors associated with fathers' involvement, very few, if any, of these studies have been guided by a theory that accounts for both fathers' involvement intentions and their ability to follow through on those intentions. The theory of planned behavior and its emphasis on attitudes, the beliefs of significant others, and whether one has control over engaging in behavior is a conceptual fit to respond to questions related to the complex nature of paternal involvement. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study, the purpose of this study was to test the utility of the theory of planned behavior in predicting fathers' involvement intentions and reports of involvement. The results revealed that the theory of planned behavior can be useful in examining paternal involvement and should be used in future research to enhance the fatherhood literature.