Father absence and familial antisocial characteristics

This study examined family antisocial characteristics according to whether biological fathers Eve at home and agree to be study participants. Antisoci al symptoms were tabulated for 161 clinic-referred children and their paren ts. Families with fathers at home had fewer paternal, maternal, and child a ntisocial symptoms, and scored higher on multiple SES indicators, than did families with departed fathers. Antisocial characteristics were highest, an d SES was lowest, when fathers could not be located or recruited. Results s uggest that requiring father participation (as in family-trio genetic desig ns) screens out the more antisocial families. Of clinical interest, antisoc ial behavior in any family member is more likely if the father is absent an d nonparticipating. The heightened antisocial behavior in children associat ed with absent biological fathers was not mitigated by presence of stepfath ers and was not accounted for by lower SES. The ethical use of mother repor t on absent fathers is discussed.