Introduction There has been significant changes in family life structure in western society particularly in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Divorce, separations and children born outside wedlock have been on the increase and as a consequence there is an ever increasing number of fathers who live their lives outside the family realm (Martin, 2005, p. 33). The area of social policy has for a long time now focused, in the main, on initiatives and research to support mothers and their children with fathers not receiving as much attention (McCashin, 1996; Hogan and Gilbertson, 2007). The 2009 study by Williams et al entitled Growing up in Ireland (GUI), involving 8,570 nine-year-olds and their families (17% of the children being from
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In a pilot study where eighteen non-resident fathers were interviewed in depth in New South Wales, Australia, it came to light that “several fathers were engaged in lengthy and expensive legal battles over contact arrangements” (Jenkins, 2006, p. 188). This same study found that in relation to access non-resident fathers experienced “powerlessness in determining contact arrangements and obstruction by the mother when either partner had re-partnered” (Jenkins, 2006, p. 189). Sometimes though a child may not wish to go with the father at the agreed access time. There may be a perfectly innocent reason for this but it can also be down to what is referred to as parental alienation. Parental alienation “can be due to overt or covert actions by the custodial parent designed to turn the child against the absent parent” (Shannon, 2005, p. 57). Of course proving that a mother is either consciously or unconsciously turning a child against a father is extremely hard to do. An Irish study by Hogan, Halpenney and Green, in 2002, of 60 children from separated homes revealed that “30% of children believed that their relationship with their non-resident parents had mainly improved since the separation in terms of the quality of the time they spent together” (Hogan et al, 2002, p. xii). A slightly smaller percentage …show more content…
(2009), Chat-room Voices of Non-residential Fathers, Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, June 2009, Volume XXXVI, Number 2, retrieved from ebscohost.com database on 15/11/2013.
Fahey, T., Keilthy, P., Polek, E. (2012). A Study of the Families of Nine Year-Olds in Ireland, Family Relationships and Family Well-Being, Dublin: University College Dublin and the Family Support Agency.
Ferguson, H., Hogan, F. (2004). Strengthening Families Through Fathers, Waterford: The Centre for Social and Family Research.
Flood, M. (2012). Separated Fathers and the 'Fathers' Rights Movement, Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts, Australia: University of Wollongong.
Flouri, E. and Buchanan, A. (2003) What predicts fathers' involvement with their children?, A Prospective study of intact families, British Journal of Development Psychology, Issue 21.
Forrest, S. (2005), Engaging with Fathers in Family Support Services, a summary of the learning acquired through Bernardos' Da Project. Dublin: Bernardos
Hogan, D., Halpenney, A.M., Green, S. (2002). Children's Experiences of Parental Separation, Dublin: The Children's Research Centre.
Hogan, A., Gilbertson, J. (2007). Lone Parents in South Tipperary, A Needs Analysis at Local Level. Ireland: South Tipperary County Development
In a pilot study where eighteen non-resident fathers were interviewed in depth in New South Wales, Australia, it came to light that “several fathers were engaged in lengthy and expensive legal battles over contact arrangements” (Jenkins, 2006, p. 188). This same study found that in relation to access non-resident fathers experienced “powerlessness in determining contact arrangements and obstruction by the mother when either partner had re-partnered” (Jenkins, 2006, p. 189). Sometimes though a child may not wish to go with the father at the agreed access time. There may be a perfectly innocent reason for this but it can also be down to what is referred to as parental alienation. Parental alienation “can be due to overt or covert actions by the custodial parent designed to turn the child against the absent parent” (Shannon, 2005, p. 57). Of course proving that a mother is either consciously or unconsciously turning a child against a father is extremely hard to do. An Irish study by Hogan, Halpenney and Green, in 2002, of 60 children from separated homes revealed that “30% of children believed that their relationship with their non-resident parents had mainly improved since the separation in terms of the quality of the time they spent together” (Hogan et al, 2002, p. xii). A slightly smaller percentage …show more content…
(2009), Chat-room Voices of Non-residential Fathers, Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, June 2009, Volume XXXVI, Number 2, retrieved from ebscohost.com database on 15/11/2013.
Fahey, T., Keilthy, P., Polek, E. (2012). A Study of the Families of Nine Year-Olds in Ireland, Family Relationships and Family Well-Being, Dublin: University College Dublin and the Family Support Agency.
Ferguson, H., Hogan, F. (2004). Strengthening Families Through Fathers, Waterford: The Centre for Social and Family Research.
Flood, M. (2012). Separated Fathers and the 'Fathers' Rights Movement, Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts, Australia: University of Wollongong.
Flouri, E. and Buchanan, A. (2003) What predicts fathers' involvement with their children?, A Prospective study of intact families, British Journal of Development Psychology, Issue 21.
Forrest, S. (2005), Engaging with Fathers in Family Support Services, a summary of the learning acquired through Bernardos' Da Project. Dublin: Bernardos
Hogan, D., Halpenney, A.M., Green, S. (2002). Children's Experiences of Parental Separation, Dublin: The Children's Research Centre.
Hogan, A., Gilbertson, J. (2007). Lone Parents in South Tipperary, A Needs Analysis at Local Level. Ireland: South Tipperary County Development