• Journal of the Korean Society of Child Welfare
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• no.59
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• pp.1-23
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• 2017

Using a subsample of 3,409 unmarried smothers and their children from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, the present study examined the cross-lagged effects of unmarried fathers' involvement on their children's behavior problems. Father involvement was used as a latent variable to measure the frequency of fathers' visits to the child, fathers' instrumental support, and their supportive parenting. Both variables of father involvement and child behavior problems were repeatedly measured at child ages 3, 5, and 9 to estimate their trends over time. The results indicated that fathers' more active engagement in parenting at child ages 3 to 5 reduced behavior problems in children at ages 5 to 9. Further discussions include programs and services to support unmarried fathers through education and training opportunities for effective parenting, relationship skills, and conflict resolutions as well as policy strategies to encourage their continuous involvement in the lives of their children.