Conventional
opinion has held that children of absent fathers are more likely to sexually mature
earlier, and have their first sexual experience earlier, than children of
fathers who remain in the family. The
conclusion has always been that it is the absence of the fathers that cause the
early sexual maturation and activity.
New research is suggesting that this might not be the case.
Jane
Mendle examined data from the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and
compared the age of first intercourse with genetically related individuals such
as twins, sisters and cousins. What the
researcher found was that the more closely related the children were, the more
likely they were to be close in terms of first intercourse, and this was the
most important factor regardless of absent fathers.
What this research demonstrates is that correlation (fathers presence/absence with age of sexual maturity/first intercourse) does not necessarily imply causation. It also shows that researchers in the past have been too quick to ‘blame’ absent fathers for their children’s sexual behaviour.
Dr Phil Tyson is a Men's Psychotherapist based in Manchester in the UK. He offers:
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