“I thought, Oh shit, because I was 19.” Discourses and practices on young fatherhood in Denmark

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Reinicke
Keyword(s):  
Social Integration ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged ◽  
Child Relationship ◽  
Young Fathers ◽  
First Interview ◽  
Young Father ◽  
Young Fatherhood ◽  
Disadvantaged Families ◽  
Gain Access ◽  
Rule Out

This article presents the voices of 30 young fathers from the first interview-based study in Denmark on young fatherhood. The findings show that men face significant challenges when they become fathers at a young age and that they often feel stigmatised by society. Young fatherhood, however, can also promote social integration and produce forms of empowerment. Unlike most international research on young fatherhood, this study shows that economic circumstances do not play a crucial role in the ability of fathers to gain access to their children. This may be due to support aimed at socially disadvantaged families provided by the state. The results further indicate that early fatherhood should be seen as a transitional process, rather than as an event, with the young father gradually abandoning teenage life and where a delay in the development of the father-child relationship does not necessarily rule out the later emergence of a stable father-child relationship.

scholarly journals The Impact of a Brief Home-Based Intervention on Families with a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Mullan ◽  
Kerry Boyd ◽  
Roy McConkey
Keyword(s):  
Effective Means ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged ◽  
Drop Out Rate ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Home Based Intervention ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Disadvantaged Families

Abstract A brief intervention is described and evaluated that aimed to build and strengthen relationships for families of children diagnosed with ASD aged 12 and under. A particular focus was on socially disadvantaged parents. Parents were offered around five home visits which took place on weekdays during working hours; each lasting around 90 min. They were given individualised practical tools and support to manage their children’s behaviours alongside providing a listening ear to parents’ concerns. In all, 456 children and 427 families participated over a four-year period with a take-up rate of 87% of all referrals. The drop-out rate was low (4.5%) as was the proportion of missed and cancelled appointments. Parents’ satisfaction ratings were high and most found the number of sessions provided was ‘just right’. Children improved in their personal care, had less difficulty with change, showed less anger and had fewer meltdowns. Parents reported being less stressed, not feeling so down and managing their child better. The evaluations suggested that a brief home-based intervention is a viable and effective means of providing personalized, post-diagnostic support to parents at periodic intervals, although socially disadvantaged families may require additional assistance beyond managing their child’s ASD. The project also highlighted broader issues that impede effective support for families.

scholarly journals Introduction: Young Fatherhood: Lived experiences and policy challenges

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bren Neale
Keyword(s):  
Teenage Pregnancy ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Popular Media ◽  
Political Discourses ◽  
Socially Disadvantaged ◽  
Young Fathers ◽  
Being There ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Research And Policy

The entry of young people into early parenthood has long been regarded as an issue for social policy and for professional practice in the UK and internationally. Despite a steadily falling trend, most notably since 1998, the UK still has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy in Europe, concentrated in the most socially disadvantaged areas of the country (Office for National Statistics, 2015). The majority of these pregnancies are unplanned, with about half resulting in the birth of a child, although the extent to which this should be a cause for concern is a contested issue (Duncan et al., 2010). Considerable research evidence exists on the experiences of young mothers, with a range of interventions designed to meet their needs. However, young fathers (defined as those under the age of 25, a quarter of whom are estimated to be in their teens) have, until recently, been neglected in both research and policy. Over the past decade, small pockets of research evidence on the circumstances, practices and values of young fathers have begun to coalesce into a fledgling evidence base. However, the notion of ‘feckless’ young men, who are assumed to be absent, or disinterested in ‘being there’, or, worse, regarded as a potential risk to their children, continues to hold sway, particularly in popular media and some political discourses (Neale and Davies, 2015).

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