Social fatherhood as a prophylactic against violent behavior: An empirical analysis of the kinder, gentler side of Freud's Oedipus Complex

The preclusion of a social father, due to out-of-wediock births, within a community is strongly associated with the level of violent crime within that same community. Both U.S. and cross-cultural data are presented as examples. The association remains strong even when an index of poverty - rates of male unemployment - are controlled. An argument for causation rather than mere correlation is presented. However, divorce, a second method of separating a child from a father, generates a very different societal mosaic. Divorce rates are not associated with violent crime rates. The argument is presented that, if a social, on-going fether is able to share the same residence with his young, developing son, the son is less likely to engage in violent behavior as an adult. Freud's construct of and analysis of the OediPus Complex is thereby given empirical support (only) along the dimension of male aggression.