Digital Commons Network^™

Absent Father Timing, Criminal Behavior, And Arrest Across The Life Course, Krysta N. Knox

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses

Although prior research has examined the link between having an absent biological father and self-reported delinquency, few studies have assessed the influence of the timing of paternal absence (i.e., the child’s age when father leaves). Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), the present study examines the impact of the timing of biological father absence on delinquency and arrest across the life course. Results of negative binomial regression reveal that biological father absence before birth, early in childhood, (birth to age 5) and late adolescence (age 14 to 18) was significantly related to …