Demeaning, Demoralizing, and Disenfranchising Divorced Dads

Abstract

The most recent research demonstrates that too many fathers are demeaned, demoralized and disenfranchised after divorce in ways that make it difficult for them to maintain close relationships with their own children. Divorced fathers' relationships are often influenced by: our misconceptions about divorced men, our idealized beliefs about motherhood, our erroneous beliefs about fatherhood, our divorce and custody laws, the mother's attitudes towards the father, each parent's style of relating to the children, the child's gender, and the accuracy of children's memories. The ways in which the mother influences the father's relationship with the children after divorce are also discussed.

Key Words:

• Divorced fathers
• father-child relationships
• remarried fathers