Preprint Non-Residential Fatherhood and Father-Child Relationships Among Curaçaoan and Dutch Adolescents and Young Adults

Growing up with a non-resident biological father has been portrayed as problematic for different aspects of father-child relationships, but it is unclear whether experiencing non-residential fatherhood is less problematic in countries where this family structure is more common and thus probably less stigmatized. Cross-country research into non-residential fatherhood is scarce, especially including Caribbean countries where many children grow up without their biological father in the home. This study examined associations between non-residential fatherhood and father-child relationship quality and fathers’ parenting behaviors among Curaçaoan and Dutch adolescents and young adults. Curaçaoan (n = 450) and Dutch (n = 585) participants completed a digital questionnaire in class, using the same procedures on Curaçao and in the Netherlands. We estimated structural equation models of perceived avoidant and anxious father-child attachment and paternal emotional warmth, rejection, and monitoring for both groups separately, because of measurement variance across countries. Non-residential fatherhood was unrelated to perceptions of most aspects of father-child relationships among both Curaçaoan and Dutch participants. This study adds an important cross-country perspective to the current literature on non-residential fatherhood and tentatively suggests that correlates of non-residential fatherhood for father-child relationships might be less evident than previous studies suggest. Instead, young people’s SES and the frequency of contact between fathers and children seem to be more important for father-child attachment and paternal rearing behaviors. Further research across demographic characteristics and child outcomes is required to understand whether, when, and how non-residence of the biological father might affect child well-being and development in different countries.