Exploring the Impact of Father Involvement on the Externalizing Behavior of Black Female Adolescents

Background: Research tends to focus on risk factors associated with Black girls’ externalizing behavior, such as living in impoverished communities and having histories of abuse; warranting greater attention to the role of protective factors (PF). In 2016, Black adolescent females were more likely than white adolescent females to be petitioned to the court, referred to law enforcement, and legally detained in school settings, with an increasing number of physical fights connected to these experiences. Little attention has been given to PFs that might mitigate these experiences, particularly how parenting strategies may provide a buffer against externalizing behaviors among Black adolescent females. The impacts of father involvement on their son’s externalizing behavior is well established in the literature while understanding how father involvement matters to a daughter’s externalizing behavior -- her intent to engage in risky behaviors, is lacking.

Methods: ANOVA and a three-step hierarchical regression analysis were conducted to investigate the relationship between three dimensions of father involvement and Black female adolescent risk behaviors using items from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and the Likelihood of Violence and Delinquency Scale.  Using a national subsample of 287 Black adolescent females, ages 13-17, measures of father-child closeness, father-child activities, perceptions of communication with father, and the intent to engage in risky behaviors (i.e. physical fighting, carrying a gun or knife, having sexual intercourse) were explored in three different models that varied by father type: biological fathers living in the home, social fathers or father figures living in the home, and non-resident fathers.  All models controlled for age, adolescents’ employment status, and annual household income. Covariates included in the model were closeness with mother and communication with the mother.

Results: ANOVA results indicate significant differences in father involvement by father residence type. Specifically, Black female adolescents with non-resident fathers reported the lowest levels of communication, engagement in activities, and closeness. Results from the three-step hierarchical regression suggest that, among Black female adolescents with biological resident fathers and biological non-resident fathers, the most significant predictors of intent to engage in risky behaviors were perceived closeness to father and engagement in activities with father. These two predictors held across models for biological fathers, regardless of residence type. The overall model for social fathers/father figures was not significant.

Discussion

Understanding paternal involvement in the lives of Black adolescent females may offer insight into the development of protective factors against engagement in risky behaviors. Results suggest that closeness and engagement in activities with biological fathers, both resident and nonresident, influences Black daughters’ intent to engage in risky behavior.  The current findings have implications for the development and refinement of culturally specific interventions aimed at enhancing multiple dimensions of father involvement.