practitioners' knowledge of fathers and competence to engage fathers in ... If the father wants to tell his story, the practitioner should refer him to a counsellor. 7.
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FATHERS CHECKLIST: COMPETENCE AND KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS Citation FOR FULL ARTICLE: Fletcher, R., Freeman, E., Ross, N., & StGeorge, J. (2010). Father Engagement after the 2006 reforms: A quantitative analysis of practitioners’ knowledge of fathers and competence to engage fathers in Family Relationship Services. Australian Journal of Dispute Resolution, 24, 270-277.
Competence questions 1. I can strike up a conversation with fathers who come from different backgrounds to mine. 2. I can often tell what fathers need to connect to their children. 3. I am often puzzled by what fathers do. 4. I have a good grasp of how fathering is different to mothering. 5. I often discuss how it went with a father and then come to a better understanding of what to do. 6. I am confident when dealing with angry fathers. 7. I know how to show a father that I respect him.* Knowledge questions 1. Fathers naturally have less impact on their daughter’s emotional development as their daughter becomes a teenager. 2. I know where to refer fathers for services that will meet their specific needs. 3. The father-child relationship is very important for the child’s development. 4. Separated fathers have a higher risk of developing mental health problems than separated mothers. 5. Fathers seldom know how to raise their children. 6. If the father wants to tell his story, the practitioner should refer him to a counsellor. 7. It is ok for mothers and fathers to parent their children differently. 8. Parents need to be interacting with their children in much the same ways. 9. I don’t attempt to connect with fathers in order to mediate between mothers and fathers. It is best that I stay objective and distant from both. 10. A father should be encouraged to draw on his own experiences with his father. 11. Non-resident fathers should be involved in all aspects of designing the shared parenting plan including issues such as bedtime, homework, chores, and household rules. 12. A father’s responsibility for their child’s wellbeing is reduced if the child lives with its mother. 13. The practitioner should communicate in exactly the same way with mothers and fathers. 14. At no time does parental separation strengthen a relationship between a father and his child. 15. Many fathers say that they “seek permission” from the mother to see their child. 16. When consulting with fathers, I should ignore whether or not I agree with his values. 17. The practitioner needs to be aware of gender differences in how mothers and fathers resolve disputes. 18. An infant who is raised by a stay-at-home father (whose mother works fulltime) is likely to show delayed social and emotional development. 19. [removed] 20. Fathers seldom see their role in the family as secondary to the mother. 21. Most men know how to express their emotions. 22. The practitioner’s role does not include helping fathers change their beliefs in the best interests of the child. That is the role of the psychologist. 23. Most fathers do not know how the new laws about separation affect their responsibilities for their child. 24. A son’s development is affected more by his father’s sexual orientation (e.g., homosexuality) than it is by the quality of his relationship with his father. 25. [removed] 26. When fathers do not show their feelings in the sessions it means that they are not interested. 27. My own stories about my father are important to my work with fathers. 28. Mothers and fathers coming to mediation have the same needs. 29. A daughter’s development is affected more by the quality of her relationship with her father than it is by her father’s sexual orientation (e.g., homosexuality). 30. It helps me as a practitioner to draw on my own relationship with my father. 31. It is important to be able to show a father respect.
