Preprint Father absence and father-child relationship quality Osinga et al.

Objective: To examine whether biological father absence is associated with father-child relationship quality among father-absent and father-present Curaçaoan and Dutch adolescents and young adults. Background: Father absence has often been portrayed as problematic for father-child relationship quality but this is not the case universally. Normativity of father absence in a society might affect this link. Unfortunately, cross-cultural studies into father absence are scarce, especially including normative father-absent societies such as Curaçao. Method: Using identical procedures and materials on Curaçao and in the Netherlands, Curaçaoan (n = 564) and Dutch (n = 652) participants completed a school-based online questionnaire. Due to measurement variance, we estimated structural equation models testing associations between father absence and father-child attachment, paternal rearing style, and monitoring as indicators of father-child relationship quality separately for both cultural groups. Results: Father absence was unrelated to father-child relationship quality among both Curaçaoan and Dutch adolescents and young adults. Conclusion: Though the absence of father-absence effects does not mean that non-residence of a biological father is not a potential risk factor anyway, our data suggest that effects might be more subtle and less systematic than existing literature suggests. Implications: By including data from both normative and contra-normative father-absent societies, this study adds an important cross-cultural perspective to the current father-absence literature. Further research across demographic characteristics is required to fully understand whether, how, and when father absence may affect offspring outcomes.