Intergenerational transmission of fathering roles in at risk families

The purpose of this article is to examine the long-term consequences of pat ernal involvement for a sample of young men, with the intent being to exami ne whether patterns of fatherhood are transmitted across generations. Initi ally, a theoretical framework is discussed that has led researchers to expe ct that patterns of fatherhood will be produced across generations. Data fr om the Baltimore Parenthood Study were used, a 30-year longitudinal study t hat has followed the reproductive patterns of teenage parents and their chi ldren. A subsample of 110 males were examined with an occasional reference made to a subsample of females. Results indicated that a strong link existe d be tween the stable presence of a biological father in the histories of t he young men and the timing of their own family formation, Early fatherhood , both during the teen years and early twenties, is much more likely to occ ur if young men did not grow up living with their own fathers. Moreover, ea rly fatherhood is somewhat more likely to occur if the young men did not ha ve a stepfather in the post who was a stable presence in the home. Young fa thers also were less likely to be living with their children if their own f athers had not lived in residence with them throughout childhood.