Boys grow up better with male parenting

New Zealand Sunday Star Times. 10 March 1996.

Men make better solo parents of boys than women, according to new research.

Studies in the United States suggest boys brought up by only their mother are four times more likely to have developmental and social problems as boys brought up by only their father.

Henry Biller, professor of psychology at Rhode Island University and author of "The Father Factor", said delinquency was three to four times as frequent in children under the care of only their mother. "We are talking about drug use, criminal behaviour, and school drop out," he said. "Paternal deprivation is much more of a problem [for boys?] than maternal deprivation."

According to Richard Warshak, professor of psychology at the Texas University Southwestern Medical Center, boys suffer harm if they are brought up without a male parent figure. "Children are more likely to avoid the harmful effects of divorce if they subsequently live with a parent of the same sex. There is no reason to believe that mothers have the monopoly on competence at bringing up children. Fathers can do just as well, and in some cases better."