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Introduction

Adolescent Fatherhood has become a common occurrence in today’s society. The challenge of motherhood and teen pregnancy has been looked into in depth. However, most of research programs mainly focus on teenage pregnancy which means that the girl child is given more priority than the father of the child in such situations, researchers and government agencies suggests that fathers are absent. The lack of attention given to adolescent fathers by social workers, health-care practitioners, and Adolescent Fatherhood is not researched adequately which means that the industry should put more effort in providing adequate information about these young fathers. The lack of focus has made the teenage father face many psychological problems without help from the society that has bred them (Mollborn, & Lovegrove, 2010).

Thesis

This paper will address the critical role played by the social workers and community leaders in helping the adolescent fathers deal with the problems they experience at their age. The Psychological issues will be properly addressed as they affect the behavior of that father. Moreover, the relationship between the adolescent father and the child will be put into context.

Adolescent fathers

Adolescent fathers are the young boys who become fathers when they are still in their adolescence. The reason adolescent fathers have been previously neglected is the lack of concern with the role a man plays from infancy to childhood. There are also some social prejudicial and social-structural factors that are particular to adolescent fathers that have led to their neglect. Since adolescent fathers are not married at the time of conception and birth, they end up being excluded from taking part in the birth and early care of the child. Some of the factors that are related to the increased risk of adolescent fatherhood include poor academic achievement, being born from a teenage mother, early initiation into sexual activities, and low-income.

Psychological and social issues faced by adolescent fathers

Adolescent fathers suffer from anxiety and depression due to the burden of having to deal with their new state of fatherhood. They are expected to provide for their children and the mothers of these children yet most of them can barely take care of themselves. The society has branded adolescent fathers as being sexually reckless youth who do not take responsibility for their children and their mothers. Adolescent fathers end up being disowned by their parents and treated as outcasts by the society.

Environmental factors that affect adolescent fathers

There are some environmental factors that affect adolescent fathers. One of these factors is educational and occupational barriers. These barriers limit the male capacity of these adolescent fathers to assume their parental responsibilities. They often face the pressure of continuing with formal education and on the other hand pressure to offer financial assistance to their child and the mother.

The role of social workers in addressing issues faced by adolescent fathers

Adolescent fathers are often criticized and stigmatized by the society. Social workers should show equal concern to adolescent fathers like they do to adolescent mothers. They should not sideline adolescent fathers but embrace them in their programs. Social workers should provide the adolescent fathers support on parenting issues (Lyra, & Medrado, 2014). The concept of parenthood is new to adolescent fathers hence the social workers should guide them on what is expected of them as fathers. Social workers should also help adolescent fathers make strides in other areas of their lives such as work or even go back to school. This will help them become responsible hence be able to take care of their children and their mothers.

Current programs for adolescent fathers set by the government

There are several initiatives that have been put in place by the government to cater to the needs of adolescent fathers. One of these programs is support groups put in place to assist adolescent fathers. In these support groups, the members are assisted in dealing with issues such as communication, father’s needs, problem-solving and community links. Another program is counseling meant for adolescent fathers to provide them with support and assistance with what they are going through.

An overview of adolescent fathers

Adolescent fathers are often not allowed to take part in the lives of their children. Most of the adolescent fathers are termed as absentee fathers regardless of the effort they put into trying to be part of their children’s lives.

The predominant concern of the girl child over the boy child means that the boy child will end up being neglected. It means that the boy child will be receiving no guidance hence end up unruly and misbehaved. The other disadvantage is that the boy child will feel neglected and hence act out so as to get attention (Miller, 1997). This can be in the form of crime or violent behavior.

The psychological issues of adolescent fathers are due to the negative perception the society has about them. The society views adolescent fathers as losers, and hence they end up thinking of themselves in this light. Adolescent fathers feel they have let themselves, their families, and their children down.

Psychological and social issues faced by adolescent fathers can be addressed through counseling. Adolescent fathers can be offered counseling on how they can be good fathers. The adolescent fathers can also receive continuous sex education to avoid them getting more children. One of the current measures taken by the government in favor of adolescent fathers includes setting up counseling programs to assist them in their journey to parenthood.

Conclusion

The issue of adolescent fatherhood has become very common today. Adolescent Fatherhood has some negative impacts on these young fathers; there is the need to look at these impacts so as to come up with appropriate solutions. Stakeholders such as social workers and the government should strive to ensure that adolescent fathers transition well into their new roles.

Recommendation

There is the need to come up with programs that focus on the boy child. These programs should guide the boy child on what is expected of them from the society. There should also be programs that offer guidance to adolescent fathers regarding how they should behave and lead their lives.

References

Elster, A. (2006). Adolescent fatherhood. Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates.

Kiselica, M. (2008). When boys become parents adolescent fatherhood in America. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press.

Lyra, J., & Medrado, B. (2014). Pregnancy, Marriage and Fatherhood in Adolescents: A Critical Review of the Literature. International Handbook of Adolescent Pregnancy, 103-128.

Miller, D.B. (1997). Adolescent Fathers: What We Know and What We Need to Know. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 14.1, 55-69. 

Mollborn, S., & Lovegrove, P. (2010). How Teenage Fathers Matter for Children: Evidence From the ECLS-B. Journal of Family Issues, 3-30.