Young Disadvantaged Men as Fathers

Abstract

This article reviews current theory and empirical evidence regarding young disadvantaged men’s involvement with children. It first chronicles the major theoretical perspectives on fathers’ involvement among resident (married and cohabiting) biological fathers, resident social fathers (unrelated romantic partners of children’s mothers), and nonresident biological fathers. Second, it provides a brief overview of the current and historical role of the father in child rearing. Third, it describes the characteristics of men who become young fathers, highlighting that they tend to be socioeconomically disadvantaged. Fourth, it summarizes the empirical literature on both antecedents of fathers’ involvement and patterns of involvement across father types. Finally, it examines the foremost limitations of existing research and draws implications for future research and policy.