Organizational Responses to the Fatherhood Crisis

SUMMARY The emergence of fathers' rights groups, predominantly composed of men who have been personally affected by child support and custody laws, have been understudied up until this point. This article, based on 158 in-depth interviews, identifies individual motivations of members who join these groups, as well as their impressions on overcoming obstacles to further growth. Contrary to popular perception, the desire to change public policy is only one of the many reasons these men choose to join; equally, if not more important, are their needs for legal and emotional assistance. While acknowledging barriers to attracting new members, most are optimistic that their network of grassroots groups will soon become a strong, national social movement working behalf of fatherhood issues. The article concludes with several recommendations for policymakers to consider these groups' claims.