AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF NONCUSTODIAL FATHERS OF DIVORCE

Abstract

This is a study on divorced men without legal custody of their children. It aims to document the problems and issues faced by this group of individuals with respect to their divorce and new role as visiting fathers. Seven participants were obtained through convenience sampling and interviewed. The specific research questions included: the noncustodial fathers' views about fatherhood, the change in fathering role after separation, the problems faced in being a visiting father, the psychological effects of losing their marriages and children, how the fathers coped, their experiences with the legal and social service sectors, attitudes towards help-seeking, and the types of assistance they needed. The results of the interviews were analyzed using a theoretical framework consisting of the theories of loss and mourning, and crisis and coping. The transition from married father to divorced, noncustodial father, was viewed as a status passage through time. Implications of the results and future research directions were also discussed.