Every society recognizes that fathers have positive influences on their children, although these influences do vary based on the sociocultural contexts.
Positive father involvement can:
- act as a protective factor and promote child well-being;
- positively impact children’s social competence, later IQ and other learning outcomes;
- decrease boys’ negative social behaviour (such as delinquency) and girls’ psychological problems in early adulthood.
When a father’s influence starts in early childhood, this can help with forming secure attachments, promoting social and emotional development, and influencing school readiness and success.