Absent Fathers Affect Boys' Development, Behaviors

Boys who grow up without a dad around are more likely to reach puberty later, but father their own children earlier, according to a new study.

Researchers from the London School of Economics used data from the UK National Child Development Study to look at the relationship between the presence of fathers and the time their sons' voices broke.

The study found that if the father left during their son’s adolescence their voice broke later, when compared to boys with present fathers.

“It’s particularly surprising to see that a boy’s puberty can be delayed as a result of events that happen in adolescence,” said Paula Shephard, a researcher from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

According to the study, boys with absent fathers were less likely to be married by the age of 23 and more likely to have children by that age.

“These findings suggest that father absence exerts an influence on male reproductive decisions, even after controlling for other indicators of early life adversity,” the authors wrote.

Source: The Conversation
http://theconversation.edu.au/boys-with-absent-fathers-more-likely-to-become-young-dads-3287