Having dad around may prevent teen delinquency

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Even when they don't live with them, fathers who stay involved in their teenagers' lives can help keep them out of trouble, new research suggests.

In a study of low-income adolescents who weren't living with their biological fathers, researchers found that those whose dads were still in their lives were less likely to use drugs, skip school or be involved in violence.

In particular, teens who were already getting into trouble at the study's start were more likely to mend their ways if they were in regular contact with their fathers.

The findings are published in the journal Child Development.

The study followed poor, mostly minority families to see whether fathers who were absent from the home but still present in their children's lives made a difference in their odds of delinquency.

Researchers interviewed 647 10- to 14-year-olds and their mothers at the start of the study and again 16 months later.

They found that, in general, greater father involvement at the outset was related to a decline in children's delinquency over time -- including cheating or other problems at school, using drugs, stealing and violence.

The results suggest that fathers who share responsibility for their children's care and behavior can help them stay out of trouble, according to lead study author Dr. Rebekah Levine Coley, an associate professor at Boston College.

"Father involvement appeared particularly important for young teens who had already initiated some level of early delinquent activity," she told Reuters Health.

The study also showed that in cases where teenagers' behavior worsened over time, fathers -- particularly African American men -- tended to step up their involvement in their kids' lives.

Coley said these fathers may have done so in the hopes of "stemming the tide," either on their own or because the child's mother asked for help.

The findings are in line with past research suggesting that a father's time and attention are even more important to his child's well-being than his financial support. Besides serving as another monitor and disciplinarian, fathers may help their kids develop more trust and self-control, Coley and her colleagues note.

SOURCE: Child Development, January/February 2007.