The fathers (not the mothers): their importance and influence with infants and young children

Abstract

This review is primarily concerned with the behavior and influence of fathers with respect to their infants and children in early childhood as a mediating variable in forms of psychopathology. Three developmental periods are surveyed in relation to what is known of paternal behavior and its influences on the child: pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood. Throughout, it is appreciated that influences may be bidirectional (i.e., father-child and child-father) and that behavior problems in children are usually determined by the coexistence of several factors. The objective here, however, is to examine the father-child relationship specificially as a possible early determinant of behavior deviance in children. Because the literature is sparse, it is necessary to carefully take into account manifestations of paternal behavioral deviance and behavioral deviance of children as they may influence each other.