Father

A father, dad, or daddy, is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his child or children, fathers may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with their child or children that carries with it certain rights and obligations.

A biological father is the male genetic contributor to the creation of the child, through sexual intercourse or sperm donation. A biological father may have legal obligations to a child not raised by him, such as an obligation of monetary support. A putative father is a man whose biological relationship to a child is alleged but has not been established.

A stepfather is a non-biological male parent married to a child's parent and forms a family unit but generally does not have the legal rights and responsibilities of a parent in relation to the child. An adoptive father is a man who has become the child's parent through the legal process of adoption.

The adjective "paternal" refers to a father and comparatively to "maternal" for a mother. The verb "to father" means to procreate or to sire a child from which also derives the noun "fathering". Biological fathers determine the sex of their child through a sperm cell which either contains an X chromosome (female), or Y chromosome (male). Related terms of endearment are dad (dada, daddy), baba, papa, pappa, papasita, (pa, pap) and pop. A male role model that children can look up to is sometimes referred to as a father-figure.

Determination of fatherhood Roman law defined fatherhood as "Mater semper certa; pater est quem nuptiae demonstrant" ("The [identity of the] mother is always certain; the father is whom the marriage vows indicate"). The biological father can be determined by DNA paternity testing. Non-biological children can be adopted according to the family law.

Responsible and positive parenting In today's world, the terms responsible parenting and positive parenting are often used.

UNICEF distinguishes the term positive parenting.

Positive parenting is parenting that creates an environment conducive to child development that prioritizes healthy parent-child relationships.

Responsible parenting is parenting that implies the fulfillment of the functions assigned to them by parents and is manifested in individual and social aspects, includes raising children, as well as taking into account the stage before the birth of a child, maintaining family relations with already adult children.

Paternal rights

The paternity rights of a father with regard to his children differ widely from country to country, often reflecting the level of involvement and roles expected by that society.

Unlike motherhood, fatherhood is not mentioned in Universal Declaration of Human Rights.Berween M. International bills of human rights: an Islamic critique // The International Journal of Human Rights. – 2003. – V. 7. – №. 4. – p. 129-142.

Paternity leave Parental leave is when a father takes time off to support his newly born or adopted baby. Paid paternity leave first began in Sweden in 1976, and is paid in more than half of European Union countries.Mapped: Paid paternity leave across the EU...which countries are the most generous? Published by The Telegraph, 18 April 2016 In the case of male same-sex couples the law often makes no provision for either one or both fathers to take paternity leave.

Child custody Fathers' rights movements, such as Fathers 4 Justice, argue that family courts are biased against fathers.Fathers 4 Justice take their fight for rights across the Atlantic Published by The Telegraph, 8 May 2005

Child support Child support is an ongoing periodic payment made by one parent to the other; it is normally paid by the parent who does not have custody.

Paternity fraud An estimated 2% of British fathers experiences paternity fraud during a non-paternity event, bringing up a child they wrongly believe to be their biological offspring.One in 50 British fathers unknowingly raises another man's child Published by The Telegraph, April 6, 2016

Role of the father

In almost all cultures, fathers are regarded as secondary caregivers. This perception is slowly changing with more and more fathers becoming primary caregivers while mothers go to work, or in single parenting situations and male same-sex parenting couples.

Fatherhood in the Western World

In the West, the image of the married father as the primary wage-earner is changing. The social context of fatherhood plays an important part in the well-being of men and their children. In the United States 16% of single parents were men as of 2013. A meta-analysis found fathers in the Western World tend to be biased in favor of daughters and against sons.

Importance of father or father-figure Involved fathers offer developmentally specific provisions to their children and are impacted themselves by doing so. Active father figures may play a role in reducing behavior and psychological problems in young adults. An increased amount of father–child involvement may help increase a child's social stability, educational achievement, and their potential to have a solid marriage as an adult. Their children may also be more curious about the world around them and develop greater problem-solving skills.United States. National Center for Fathering, Kansas City, MO. Partnership for Family Involvement in Education. A Call to Commitment: Fathers' Involvement in Children's Learning . June 2000 Children who were raised with fathers perceive themselves to be more cognitively and physically competent than their peers without a father. Mothers raising children together with a father reported less severe disputes with their child.

The father-figure is not always a child's biological father, and some children will have a biological father as well as a step- or nurturing father. When a child is conceived through sperm donation, the donor will be the "biological father" of the child.

Fatherhood as legitimate identity can be dependent on domestic factors and behaviors. For example, a study of the relationship between fathers, their sons, and home computers found that the construction of fatherhood and masculinity required that fathers display computer expertise.

History of fatherhood

Many male animals do not participate in the rearing of their young. The development of human men as creatures which are involved in their offspring's upbringing took place during the stone age.

In medieval and most of modern European history, caring for children was predominantly the domain of mothers, whereas fathers in many societies provide for the family as a whole. Since the 1950s, social scientists and feminists have increasingly challenged gender roles in Western countries, including that of the male breadwinner. Policies are increasingly targeting fatherhood as a tool of changing gender relations. Research from various societies suggest that since the middle of the 20th century fathers have become increasingly involved in the care of their children.

Patricide In early human history there have been notable instances of patricide. For example: Tukulti-Ninurta I (r. 1243–1207 B.C.E.), Assyrian king, was killed by his own son after sacking Babylon. Sennacherib (r. 704–681 B.C.E.), Assyrian king, was killed by two of his sons for his desecration of Babylon. King Kassapa I (473 to 495 CE) creator of the Sigiriya citadel of ancient Sri Lanka killed his father king Dhatusena for the throne. Emperor Yang of Sui in Chinese history allegedly killed his father, Emperor Wen of Sui. Beatrice Cenci, Italian noblewoman who, according to legend, killed her father after he imprisoned and raped her. She was condemned and beheaded for the crime along with her brother and her stepmother in 1599. Lizzie Borden (1860–1927) allegedly killed her father and her stepmother with an axe in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1892. She was acquitted, but her innocence is still disputed. Iyasus I of Ethiopia (1654–1706), one of the great warrior emperors of Ethiopia, was deposed by his son Tekle Haymanot in 1706 and subsequently assassinated.

In more contemporary history there have also been instances of father–offspring conflicts, such as:

Chiyo Aizawa (born 1939) murdered her own father who had been raping her for fifteen years, on October 5, 1968, in Japan. The incident changed the Criminal Code of Japan regarding patricide. Kip Kinkel (born 1982), an Oregon boy who was convicted of killing his parents at home and two fellow students at school on May 20, 1998. Sarah Marie Johnson (born 1987), an Idaho girl who was convicted of killing both parents on the morning of September 2, 2003. Dipendra of Nepal (1971–2001) reportedly massacred much of his family at a royal dinner on June 1, 2001, including his father King Birendra, mother, brother, and sister. Christopher Porco (born 1983), was convicted on August 10, 2006, of the murder of his father and attempted murder of his mother with an axe.

Terminology

Biological fathers

Baby Daddya biological father who bears financial responsibility for a child, but with whom the mother has little or no contact. Birth fatherthe biological father of a child who, due to adoption or parental separation, does not raise the child or cannot take care of one. Biological father or sometimes simply referred to as "Father" is the genetic father of a child. Posthumous fatherfather died before children were born (or even conceived in the case of artificial insemination). Putative fatherunwed man whose legal relationship to a child has not been established but who is alleged to be or claims that he may be the biological father of a child. Sperm donoran anonymous or known biological father who provides his sperm to be used in artificial insemination or in vitro fertilisation in order to father a child for a third-party female. Also used as a slang term meaning "baby daddy". Surprise fatherwhere the men did not know that there was a child until possibly years afterward Teenage father/youthful fatherfather who is still a teenager.

Non-biological (social and legal relationship) Adoptive fatherthe father who has adopted a child Cuckolded fatherwhere the child is the product of the mother's adulterous relationship DI Dadsocial/legal father of children produced via Donor Insemination (where a donor's sperm were used to impregnate the DI Dad's partner) Father-in-lawthe father of one's spouse Foster fatherchild is raised by a man who is not the biological or adoptive father Mother's partnerassumption that current partner fills father role Mother's husbandunder some jurisdictions (e.g., in Quebec civil law), if the mother is married to another man, the latter will be defined as the father Presumed fatherwhere a presumption of paternity has determined that a man is a child's father regardless of if he actually is or is not the biological father Social fatherwhere a man takes de facto responsibility for a child, such as caring for one who has been abandoned or orphaned (the child is known as a "child of the family" in English law) Stepfathera married non-biological father where the child is from a previous relationship

Fatherhood defined by contact level Absent fatherfather who cannot or will not spend time with his children Second fathera non-parent whose contact and support is robust enough that near parental bond occurs (often used for older male siblings who significantly aid in raising a child, sometimes for older men who took care of younger friends (only males) who have no families) Stay-at-home dadthe male equivalent of a housewife with child, where his spouse is breadwinner Weekend/holiday fatherwhere children only stay with their father on weekends, holidays, etc.

Non-human fatherhood For some animals, it is the fathers who take care of the young. Darwin's frog (Rhinoderma darwini) fathers carry eggs in the vocal pouch.