NCJ Number
224883
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 32 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2008 Pages: 846-858
Date Published
September 2008
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined paternal factors hypothesized to be linked to risk for paternal child abuse (PCA).
Abstract
Results indicated that Hispanic fathers were the least likely to spank or engage in psychological or physical aggression; paternal employment and earnings were not significantly associated with PCA; and compared to cohabitating African-American fathers, married African-American fathers were found to be at greater risk for some forms of PCA, a pattern not found for White or Hispanic families. Paternal employment and earnings were not directly linked to the fathers’ physical abuse risk. In this diverse sample of involved, biological fathers there appear to be multiple potential risk-heightening pathways that vary across race/ethnic groups. Previous research has addressed the role of fathers who employ physical child abuse primarily focusing on the risk posed to children in father-absent homes or homes with a nonrelated male caregiver. This study used data from a diverse birth cohort of urban families to illuminate factors linked to PCA among married and cohabiting biological fathers. The results suggest that there is a pressing need for child abuse prevention programs that target the entire family, including fathers. Although recent evidence points to high levels of father involvement among fragile families, particularly when children are young, little is known about the ways in which involved fathers influence child wellbeing. This study also points to some important directions for further research. Data were collected from interviews conducted with 1,257 married or cohabiting biological fathers who participated in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. PCA was assessed when the children were 3 years old. Tables, references