25 Facts On The Importance of Fathers

Joe Carter

In Scripture the word “father” is found more than 1,100 times. Yet in America it's become increasingly harder to find a father in the home. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America — one out of three children — now live in a home in which the biological father is absent.

Increasing father involvement in their children's lives is one of the most important ways to address material and spiritual poverty in this country. One way we can do that is to reiterate the importance of fathers and the difference their presence makes. Almost every study conducted in the social sciences confirms what the Bible teaches — fathers matter.

Here are 25 facts from social science research on the effects of having a father in the home:

1. Children living with fathers in the home tend to fare better on cognitive achievement and behavioral outcomes.

2. Adolescents living in intact families tend to report closer relationships with their fathers.

3. Among urban fathers, those who frequently attend religious services tend to be more engaged with their children.

4. Close relationships between adolescents and their fathers are positively associated with adolescents’ psychological well-being.

5. Adolescents with more involved fathers tend to exhibit lower levels of behavioral problems.

6. Adolescents who report having more positive relationships with their fathers are less likely to engage in delinquency.

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