Fathers in the Social Work Literature: Policy and Practice Implications

Abstract

Fatherhood is a topic of national conversation that is receiving considerable media attention. The number of single and noncustodial fathers is on the rise, and social workers will have increased contact with these men in the future. It is important for social work professionals to learn more about fatherhood, given the growing relevance of this topic. The social work literature is an important source of information where social workers can gather information about fatherhood. In this article, the authors examine how the social work literature describes fathers, especially noncustodial fathers. They note gaps in information about fatherhood in this literature and discuss policy and practice issues related to fathers. They also note that fatherhood has received comparatively little attention in the social work literature and that social workers need more information about fatherhood to develop policy and to implement programs to assist fathers. Information for this article comes from 118 articles about fathers that appeared in 25 social work journals.