Are young fathers uninvolved, or

simply uninvited?

Cordelia Jervis

Young dads…Young dads… are feckless and immoral perpetrators

should be made to pay

should be more involved

are violent and abusive

of less value than mothers

‘don’t wanna know’

Why do teenagers have Why do teenagers have babies?babies?

Educational explanations have not worked

Free contraception has not worked

Liberal abortion legislation has not worked

(Arai, 2009)

Accident or intention? (Nelson,

2004)

Why do teenagers want Why do teenagers want babies?babies?

Lives mediated by socioeconomic disadvantage

Ambivalence

Little to lose

Fathers often excluded from decision (Duncan, 2010)

Excluded from policyExcluded from policy

TPS Inculcated middle class values Inclusion to be earned Privileged education and paid work Fathers? Refers to ‘parents’ and ‘mothers’ Family places suitable for mothers

(Gillies, 2004)

Excluded from parentingExcluded from parenting

Statistics for young fathers not systematically recorded

(Swann, Bowe, McCormick and Kosmin, 2003)

Health visitor calls during working hours

(Daniel and Taylor, 2006)

Father may be housed distantly (Tyrer,

Chase, Warwick and Aggleton, 2005)

• Mother and baby midwife’s focus

BreadwinningBreadwinning

Opportunity to finish school truncated

• Overrepresented in unskilled or semi skilled jobs

• Unstable income• Lower income • Lower self esteem

(Futris, Nielsen, Olmstead, 2009)

Maternal GatekeepingMaternal Gatekeeping

Young mothers dependent on their mothers

Care giving decisions hindered

Situation may pivot on grandmother’s approval

Dependent on ability to provide (Negura and Deslauriers, 2010)

Mothers: Friend or Foe?Mothers: Friend or Foe?

Visits arranged through mother Young father backs away Becomes inconsistently involved New partner Father disappears (Nylund,

2008)

Excluded by lawExcluded by law Parental responsibility

As a dad, you can get parental responsibility if you:

• register the birth jointly with the child's mother

• make a parental responsibility agreement with the mother

• gain a parental responsibility order from a court

• are appointed as the child’s guardian • marry the mother

Paul’s StoryPaul’s Story

“ When I first gone with her she wanted him to be part of it and he didn’t turn up to scans, midwife, anything. But now he’s after PR and everything’s changed. Every time we see him he tries to mock us, he never looks in the pram to see the baby. All he seems to be caring about is having a fight with me…”

Nathan’s StoryNathan’s Story

“First time I saw Daisy I nearly broke my heart ‘cos she’s the spitting image of her dad. Spitting image. It nearly killed me. It’s hard to look at her and know she’s not mine. Then we had a fight over something and, unlucky for him, Daisy’s dad strolled past me, gave me a dirty look and I pounced on him like a cheetah and battered him. And then I thought, “No. It doesn’t matter that she’s not mine ‘cos I bring her up, she looks to me as her dad. Just ‘cos he’s her blood don’t mean nothing, he don’t stick around or take her places or put clothes on her back. He don’t do nothing, he don’t care.”

Shaun’s StoryShaun’s Story“We were fine to start off with, but she got pregnant again and had a miscarriage and ever since then it went downhill and we started getting under each other’s feet, arguing a lot and it was just no good for the baby. So we split up. It’s just been, see, she’s been having different guys coming back with my son there and it’s been quite difficult. I haven’t seen him now for four or five days. If I ask, “How’s the baby?” She don’t reply. I’m going nuts with it..

SandraSandra

“Since that law has changed, I’ve seen so many differences because prior to that, often, the mum would put the dad’s name on the birth certificate even if he wasn’t around, they could do it. They can’t do it now, and I think that has made a huge difference in that more dad’s names aren’t on birth certificates and whether that be because the grandparents haven’t allowed the dad to go along the day the baby’s registered, or it may be that on that particular day mum and dad, because they’re young, they’ve had a little squabble, and he’s not come in and then the mum regrets it afterwards. But it’s too late, that dad’s cut out and he hasn’t got any say in it. That happens.”

Uninvolved?Uninvolved?

Tenuous legal position

Exclusion by professionals

Exclusion by mother’s family

Fragile relationships

Unemployment (White, 2010) Choice

They know they’re a dad, They know they’re a dad, but…but…

Negotiating development of:

• Identity formation• Intimacy• Fatherhood• Education

(Devault, Milicent, Ouellet, Laurin, Jauron, Lacharite, 2008)

Educational and emotional disadvantage

(Frewin, Tuffin and Rouch, 2007)

Why stick around?Why stick around?

Children in a relationship with their father tend to have:

• Greater sociability• Greater ease with strangers• Improved cognitive functioning• Fewer behavioural problems

(White, 2010)

Dads are differentDads are different

Involved dads Increasingly included Burgeoning support

Vulnerable dads Different and more complex issues Scant support

Inviting young fathersInviting young fathersSexual Health and Wellbeing Action

Plan: Policy shift from support to prevention Young parenthood may be positive Impetus to do well

But mother: Post natal depression Less likely to complete education Less likely to breastfeed

Co parenting Co parenting

Communication

Parenting competence

Shared goals

Shared information

Higher quality parent child relationships

Better self esteem for everyone

(Fagan, 2008)

Co parenting programmesCo parenting programmes

MELD• Pre birth intervention• Information and support

(Fagan, 2008)

Hit the Ground Crawling• Mentorship

(White, 2010)

But…But…

Charity involvement critical

Precarious funding climate

Professional support voluntary

Change in policy language

This StudyThis Study

Explores:

The language of those providing practical and emotional support for young fathers

Young fathers’ language concerning their involvement in their child’s life

The juncture between policy and lived experience

Involve and Invite Involve and Invite

This study aims to:

Challenge societal stereotypes of the uninvolved, negligent and immature young father

Help integrate young fathers and their specific needs within the everyday language of parenting.

Invite policy makers to involve young fathers in their children’s lives.

Can you help?

Participants Health and social care professionals Fathers aged 24 and under

Cordelia Jervis Cordelia Jervis email: algreenjervis@uwic.ac.ukemail: algreenjervis@uwic.ac.uk