Single Fathers Rearing Children

A national survey of single fathers rearing children alone following separation and divorce adds to our understanding of this underresearched and growing population. A questionnaire was printed in the May 1982 issue of The Single Parent, the membership magazine for Parents Without Partners, to which 1,136 custodial fathers responded, making it the largest study of the topic to date. In addition to providing needed background information, the findings revealfour primary reasons for the divorce and four broad situations in which the father obtains custody. These latter situations often are affected by the mother's desire to relinquish custody. A new impression of the mother is also gained.