Abstract:
The aim of the present project was to investigate the parenting experiences of
separated and divorced non-custodial fathers, including experiences of the father-child
relationship, ideas about the father role, parenting behaviours, influences on his ability to
parent, and the emotional experiences related to parenting. The project consisted of two
studies. The first study (N = 45) used a researcher developed questionnaire that gathered
quantitative data on which /-tests and ANOVA were conducted, and qualitative data on
which thematic analyses were conducted. The second study (N = 11) consisted of
individual interviews. Thematic analyses were conducted on the verbatim transcripts of
the audio-recorded interviews. Study One findings showed that: participants reported a
reduction in emotional distress over time; being in a current romantic relationship, or
reporting either mental or physical health problems were significantly associated with
reported levels of past and current emotional distress; physical health problems were
negatively associated with feelings of less closeness to their children; and reports of both
mental and physical health problems were associated with negative views about society.
Father-child contact and the quality of the father-child relationship were negatively
associated with participants’ perceptions of how their children viewed them, and feelings
of closeness to their children; the quality of the father-child relationship was associated
negatively with the quality of the relationship with the former spouse. Analysis of the
qualitative data found that participants attributed lack of father-child contact to lack of
support from the former spouse. The participants reported that being emotionally
distressed and coping with the adjustment to being non-custodial fathers were the most
important issues in becoming non-custodial fathers. Seeking social support was the most
commonly used coping strategy, and, participants’ desired social changes towards
equality of treatment for mother and fathers after marital separation. Study Two
participants reported considerable emotional distress that was frequently characterised by
demoralisation about the loss of daily contact with their children, a sense of injustice
about the way the processes of legal proceedings, demands for financial child support,
and the perception that fathering after separation was devalued compared to mothering.
Participants with parallel or conflicted co-parenting relationships experienced more of
emotional distress and lack of agreement about the father role than those who had co
operative co-parenting relationships. The emotional distress of children was noted by
some participants. Findings of the study are applied to a family systems framework.