The effect of a parenting program on African-American adolescent fathers

Abstract

This study focuses on the effects of a comprehensive parenting program on African-American inner city adolescent fathers. The study accepts the premise that many adolescent fathers want to learn how to become nurturing, consistent parents, but are unsure as to how to go about the task of learning and incorporating parenting skills. When the young men started to feel better about themselves, they became more able to learn how to become consistent and giving fathers. As they began to achieve success through education, employment and development of more sophisticated socialization skills, they then began to have greater trust in themselves, a feeling which facilitated the incorporation of appropriate parenting techniques.;The research design consisted of an experimental and control group. Each group initially consisted of thirty African-American inner city adolescent first time fathers whose children and children's mothers resided together in some form of child welfare placement. Each individual was interviewed as to his current functioning: enrollment in school, employment, support systems, relationships with his child and his child's mother, number of friends, degree of religious practice and use of contraceptives as well as his feelings concerning definitions of aspects of fatherhood and feelings about the future. The experimental group received intensive services that focused, initially, on the fathers' own needs and concerns as young men and later on parenting skills training. The control group visited with their children and were invited to parenting skills training but did not receive any intensive intervention aimed towards the needs of fathers themselves. After six months, the individuals in each group were interviewed again. Comparisons were made between Time I and Time II within each group as well as between groups.;The study found that the experimental group was statistically significantly more successful in obtaining employment; developing a ten year plan which envisioned their future goals; establishing a consistent and positive relationship with their child; knowing who they would discuss a problem with; using birth control consistently; projecting positive feelings about future with their child; increasing their number of close friends; and expanding their definition of "manhood".