A substantial body of research now indicates that high levels of involvement by fathers in two parent families are associated with a range of
desirable outcomes in children and young people, including: better peer relationships; fewer behaviour problems; lower criminality and substance abuse; higher
educational / occupational mobility, relative to that of parents; capacity for empathy; non-traditional attitudes to earning and childcare; more satisfying adult sexual partnerships; and higher self - esteem and life - satisfaction (for reviews see Flouri 2005; Pleck and Masciadrelli 2004).