The Role of Fathers in Reducing Socioeconomic Inequalities in Adolescent Behavioral Outcomes

Abstract

There are well-established disparities in children’s socioemotional well-being by family socioeconomic status (SES). Although evidence suggests that father involvement can improve child outcomes, no studies have considered whether father involvement among low-SES children can reduce such gaps. We use 10 years of panel data on children born in large US cities to explore the associations between father involvement and behavior problems among 15-year-old children, whether these associations differ by family SES, and whether such involvement can reduce SES gaps in behavior problems. We find that both resident and nonresident fathers’ social involvement (engagement and time spent with children) and nonresident fathers’ provision of in-kind support, but not formal or informal cash support, are associated with fewer adolescent behavior problems. Finally, using a novel modeling approach, we find that high levels of father involvement among adolescents in low-SES families can substantially reduce SES disparities in adolescent behavior problems.