Research Paper Sample on Absent Fathers & Crime: Examining the Link

Introduction

Child delinquency is a common challenge in the United States. Another challenge that has persisted in American society is broken families. It is caused by separation, divorce, incarceration, or demise of one parent, leaving all parentage duties to one parent. Every year, over 2.1 American children below the age of 18 are arrested by law enforcement officers. The rate of divorce in 2014 was 3.2 people for every 1000 of the population. Therefore, it is necessary to invoke consideration of whether there is a relationship between crime among young people and parents’ absence. In this case, the father. There is a likelihood that the absence of fatherly care is likely to impact the life of a child. One of the negative consequences is engaging in crime. There exists a relationship between fatherly parenting and aggressive behavior, which in turn is the root cause of the delinquency challenges affecting teenagers. Absent fathers increase the likelihood of their children being caught up in the web of crime and delinquency, as they grow.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Literature Review

Different factors could cause the absence of a father at home. One such factor is incarceration, which could have a lasting impact on the child (Geller et al., 2011). The children of these incarcerated fathers are reported to possess more aggressive behaviors, which are the catalyst for their delinquent behaviors. They are, therefore, prime candidates for crime in their local areas. The views of Geller et al. (2011) support the primary position that the absence of fathers plays a role in the delinquent behaviors of their children.

Pougnet et al. (2011) hold the position that the development of children borrows a lot form the relationship they hold with their fathers. Therefore, the absence of this fatherly influence is bound to impact the child’s cognition and behavioral development. Pougnet et al. (2011) discussions are centered on the disciplinary role that fathers play in the family setting. As the figureheads of the family, a father instills discipline even without command. They bring a sense of intrinsic awareness of disciplinary responsibility among their children. As such, any time there is an absent father, the dimensions of family and child discipline are bound to deteriorate. The net effect of this is increased rates of misdemeanors from young people.

Caldwell et al. (2010) opined that parenting skills are very fundamental in ensuring that young ones do not engage in risky behaviors in the future. It is one thing engaging in good or bad parenting skills, and another missing out entirely on the skills. Caldwell et al. (2010) pointed out the role of fathers in parenting. In a classic example of African American fathers, Caldwell et al. (2010) pointed out that fatherly intervention is very effective in reducing aggressive behavior against daughters. However, more caution and better parenting are required for the sons, who showed a high degree of aggression altogether (Caldwell et al., 2010). This means the absence of fathers in the parenting scene would have huge implications on the children’s upbringing. The cited aggressive behaviors will only manifest further in this absence, creating a more significant challenge.

Children growing up in families lacking warmth and love, and where behavior management is not common, live a life characterized by conflict (Farrington, 2011). Farrington (2011) opines that these children are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior because of their families’ broken system. Farrington (2011) supports sentiments by Pougnet et al. (2011), where discipline is central to a father’s contribution to child growth and development. Farrington (2011) calls it parental control and monitoring, which is best exercised by fathers. Mothers are known to be tender and less controlling, while fathers are known to have a knack for enforcing things if need be. When these qualities go lacking in the development of a child, their behavior may be uncontrollable. One of the reasons why they may lack is the absence of the father.

Yogman and Garfield (2016) tie the roles of fathers to psychological influence. Fathers have an impact on the health and development of their children across life as they grow. Fathers work closely with people who influence the daily lives of their children. As such, their presence completes the psychological growth of their children. Their influence at the developmental stage of kids could either be positive or negative, but their absence almost always brings a negative outcome (Yogman & Garfield, 2016). Some of the negative consequences include; poor physical and mental health, belligerent behavior, and academic underachievement. Therefore, fathers need to be available to avert the adverse outcomes hanging on the shoulders of parents.

Research Gap

From the literature available, it is clear that the role of fatherhood in the growth and development of children is fundamental, and their absence is debilitating at the very least. There is a clear link between the behavior and presence or absence of a father when one is growing up. Therefore, it begs the question of whether children without fathers in the home between the ages of 10-14 more likely to get involved in crime than children with fathers in the home. The answer to this question can only be found in statistical evidence. Among the delinquents who get under the hands of law enforcement officers, what percentage of them have fathers at home, and how many do not have? What are the prevalence rates of juvenile arrests among children without fathers? How many adjudicated delinquents are there with absent fathers as a percentage of the total? These are the questions whose responses will go a long way in justifying or nullifying the working hypothesis.

Conclusion

The problem of absent fathers is prevalent, and it seems to have a bearing on delinquent acts of their offspring. The United States has the highest incarceration rate world over, and one might think it is the style and culture of the people. However, it’s time to cast the mind and think about the impact that incarceration of fathers has on future convictions or adjudicated delinquent of their young ones. It is only one of the many reasons why American fathers are absent from their homes. The overall effect is a missing link in parentage, which is casting children into a spin of life. The challenge of delinquency is both a legal and psychological problem, which is why investigation on the role of father absenteeism in the whole situation helps shed more light.

References

Caldwell, C., Rafferty, J., Reischl, T., De Loney, E., & Brooks, C. (2010). Enhancing Parenting Skills Among Nonresident African American Fathers as a Strategy for Preventing Youth Risky Behaviors. American Journal Of Community Psychology, 45(1-2), 17-35.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-009-9290-4

Farrington, D. (2011). Crime and Family. In J. Wilson & J. Petersilia, Crime and Public Policy. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 27 July 2020, from
https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=C3Gi1ob0W4oC&oi=fnd&pg=PA130&dq=role+of+fathers+in+preventing+child+delinquency&ots=oVNvCCgm19&sig=dLUXtHt-NrNc9NjFmvzzZFsd_HA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=role%20of%20fathers%20in%20preventing%20child%20delinquency&f=false.

Geller, A., Cooper, C., Garfinkel, I., Schwartz-Soicher, O., & Mincy, R. (2011). Beyond Absenteeism: Father Incarceration and Child Development. Demography, 49(1), 49-76.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-011-0081-9

Pougnet, E., Serbin, L., Stack, D., & Schwartzman, A. (2011). Fathers’ influence on children’s cognitive and behavioral functioning: A longitudinal study of Canadian families. Canadian Journal Of Behavioural Science/Revue Canadienne Des Sciences Du Comportement, 43(3), 173-182.
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023948

Yogman, M., & Garfield, C. (2016). Fathers Roles in the Care and Development of Their Children: The Role of Pediatricians. PEDIATRICS, 138(1), e20161128-e20161128.
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1128