Objective: To examine whether biological father absence is associated with father-child relationship quality among father-absent and father-present Curaçaoan and Dutch adolescents and young adults. Background: Father absence has often been portrayed as problematic for father-child relationship quality but this is not the case universally. Normativity of father absence in a society might affect this link. Unfortunately, cross-cultural studies into father absence are scarce, especially including normative father-absent societies such as Curaçao. Method: Using identical procedures and materials on Curaçao and in the Netherlands, Curaçaoan (n = 564) and Dutch (n = 652) participants completed a school-based online questionnaire. Due to measurement variance, we estimated structural equation models testing associations between father absence and father-child attachment, paternal rearing style, and monitoring as indicators of father-child relationship quality separately for both cultural groups. Results: Father absence was unrelated to father-child relationship quality among both Curaçaoan and Dutch adolescents and young adults. Conclusion: Though the absence of father-absence effects does not mean that non-residence of a biological father is not a potential risk factor anyway, our data suggest that effects might be more subtle and less systematic than existing literature suggests. Implications: By including data from both normative and contra-normative father-absent societies, this study adds an important cross-cultural perspective to the current father-absence literature. Further research across demographic characteristics is required to fully understand whether, how, and when father absence may affect offspring outcomes.

The literature on father absence is criticized for its lack of cross-cultural perspectives and failure to take into account potential mechanisms that are related to associations between father absence and offspring well-being and development. In the present study, we investigated whether father absence was linked to Curaçaoan (n = 564) and Dutch (n = 652) adolescents’ and young adults’ behavioral and emotional (dis)engagement in school. Whereas father absence has often been linked to problems in offspring adjustment, we did not find an association between father absence and offspring academic engagement. It is important to continue studying father absence across demographic characteristics and measures to advance understanding of whether, when, and how this family form might affect offspring well-being and development.