Teenagers more distant from divorced fathers

Divorced men are more likely to have a distant relationship with their teenage children than divorced women, a new study has found.

According to research published by Penn State University in the Journal of Marriage and Family, teenagers will naturally start to widen the gap between themselves and their fathers but this is exacerbated when their parents are no longer together.

Physical distance is often a main reason for a lack of emotional closeness. However, this is not the case with mothers who often continue to provide the majority of care for youngsters after divorce.

The study found that of the teenagers questioned, 48 per cent of those whose parents were still married reported a close relationship with their father, as opposed to 25 per cent of the children of divorced parents.

The report's co-author Dr Alan Booth explained: "Historically, teens distance themselves from parents and increase involvement with peers. Coupled with divorce, this distancing may result in further declines in father-child closeness."

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