2019_10_07_ICS_paul_vitz

"The link with the father or father figure -an uncle, an older brother, a grandfather, a sports coach, a godfather, a priest...- is core topic for the child's development ". This was the opinion expressed at the University of Navarra by Paul Vitz, Professor Emeritus of the University of New York and senior academic at Divine Mercy University (USA). The expert has intervened in a lecture series promoted by the project 'Education ' of theaffectivity and human sexuality' of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS).

According to Professor Vitz, when a father figure is present, "children improve in terms of cognitive activity, have less emotional distress, are less likely to become depressed, and are less at risk of becoming involved in crime, drugs and gangs". 

"The prisons in my country, the U.S., are full of young men who have suffered the absence of a father figure," he lamented. "It is a terrible cost to society," he continued, "not only because of the significance of their crimes or the fact that they remain behind bars for all those years, but because many lives are ruined by the stigma of a criminal record. 

Increased parental involvement in the U.S. and Europe

Professor Vitz also commented that in many U.S. universities it has been observed that since the 1970s the percentage of students with mental problems -such as depression, anxiety...- has been increasing, "and it is believed that this has a lot to do with what happens at home". Thus, he recalled that attachment theory emphasizes the need to strengthen bonds for an adequate development of the child and avoid negative consequences for their mental health.

Paul Vitz acknowledged that in the U.S. and Europe "fathers have become more willing to make meaningful contributions to family life and to reinforce children in the home environment. This is very positive. He added that in families of class average and class average high this trend is pronounced. 

The ICS cycle in which the American psychologist has intervened aims to offer a space for reflection and dialogue around five words that make reference letter to different ways of approaching the reality of bonding with others from the psychological perspective: attachment, parenting, psychotherapy, violence and emotions.

In addition to this lecture, Paul Vitz gave two other seminars at the University of Navarra: 'The Psychology of Hatred and Forgiveness', at the School of Education and Psychology; and 'Psychology and Christianity: A goal -Modelof the Person', organized by the group of research 'Science, Reason and Faith' (CRYF).