Recklessness, rescue and responsibility: Young men tell their stories of the transition to fatherhood

Abstract

Young fatherhood has become a recent focus for concern in contemporary society. Arguably, following on from anxieties regarding teenage pregnancy and young parenting the focus on young fathers is a positive step. Within social work research young fathers' experiences are argued to be under-represented. This article draws on interviews with ten young fathers who, at the time of the interview, were users of social services in the South East of the UK. These ten young men form part of a larger group of 16 interviewed as part of a Doctoral thesis. Through the use of narrative interviews their stories of their transition to fatherhood were collected. One of the significant findings from the research was how all ten young men described a positive move in their self-identity following the birth of their child. Strategies they used in order to do this included drawing on old and new support networks as well as other forms of human and social capital, including professionals from voluntary and statutory agencies. This article, although based on interviews with a small number of young men, draws out wider implications for working with young fathers.