Читать книгу Counseling the Contemporary Woman - Suzanne Degges-White - Страница 61

Due to gender differences and possibly time constraints, fathers typically relate to their daughters differently than mothers do. There is a spectrum of the level of fathers’ involvement in their daughters’ lives, and therefore their relationship will vary. Having a positive father-daughter relationship can significantly influence an adolescent’s sense of self and her engagement in risky behaviors. Despite the fact that many fathers might not have a lot of time to spend with their daughters, a father’s influence on an adolescent daughter is significant; in fact, it was found that a father has greater influence on his daughter’s self-esteem than he does on his adolescent son’s development (Keizer, Helmerhorst, & van Gelderen, 2019). Sentino, Thompson, Nugent, and Freeman (2018) found that an adolescent girl’s perceptions about her father’s levels of care and communication were related to the number of sexual partners with whom she engaged. The higher the quality of the perceived relationship, the fewer the number of partners she had. In light of the many ways in which family constellations may vary through blended families, reconstituted families, and other diverse arrangements, it is worth to note that stepfathers can forge strong and supportive relationships with their adolescent stepdaughters that are equal in positive qualities as those between biological fathers and daughters (Campbell & Winn, 2018). Fathers have significant influence on their adolescent daughters, and clinicians should encourage the families with whom they work to foster healthy relationships between both parents and their children. Even as relationships with parents may change, relationships between adolescent girls and their friends grow more intense.