The impact of fathers’ gender perspectives and involvement on children’s resilience

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is twofold; to answer the question of whether gender notions are predictors of father involvement, and to investigate whether involved fathers who have egalitarian notions raise more resilient children. Fathers of children aged 5–6 years (n = 377) answered questions about their gender role attitudes, their level of father involvement and their children’s resilience. The data analysis has shown weak significant associations between the dyads of egalitarian views- father involvement, father involvement-child resiliency and egalitarian views-child resiliency. Besides, a higher level of gender egalitarian view predicted a higher level of father involvement; and higher father involvement predicted a higher level of child psychological resiliency. However, including gender views in the dyad of father involvement and resilience made no significant effect. In conclusion, attitudes towards gender roles still effect fathers’ choices about being involved in their children’s lives and father involvement is an important agent supporting resilience.

KEYWORDS:

• Father involvement
• father–child relationship
• psychological resilience of children
• gender roles
• preschool children

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zülfiye Güzin Arslan

Zülfiye Güzin Arslan, M.Sc., Research Assistant and doctoral student in the Department of Child Development at Hacettepe University. Her research interests include risk and resilience, emerging literacy and language development, psychosocial development in early childhood.

Haktan Demircioğlu

Haktan Demircioğlu, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Child Development at Hacettepe University. His fields of work include family education and guidance, psychosocial prevention, protection and intervention, protective and preventive activities, child protection and counselling measures.