Date

9-17-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

William Townsend

Keywords

Males, men, childlessness, adverse childhood experiences, ACEs, attachment disorder, childless males, emotional abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, voluntarily

Disciplines

Counseling | Education

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe men’s experiences choosing to remain childless in Southeast (Detroit) Michigan. The theory guiding this study was Blackstone’s Theoretical Framework on Voluntary Childlessness. Rich, descriptive data were collected using a short demographic questionnaire and twelve semi-structured interviews that answered three research questions guiding this study: (1) How do men in Southeast (Detroit) Michigan describe experiences choosing to remain childless? (2) How do men in Southeast (Detroit) Michigan recount any impact from adverse childhood experiences which contribute to their decision to remain childless? (3) How do men in Southeast (Detroit) Michigan explain the impact of their decision to remain childless in past or present committed relationships? The participants, who were selected through purposive sampling, consisted of men over 40 years of age living in Southeast (Detroit) Michigan who had voluntarily decided to remain childless and who had been in a committed relationship at some time in their lives. Data were analyzed using Moustakas’s analytical procedures. Six themes emerged from the findings: autonomy and freedom, life course timing, relationship context, social and observational influences, limited influence of adverse childhood experiences, and lifestyle prioritization. The findings indicated that most participants viewed voluntary childlessness as an intentional decision shaped primarily by their desire for independence, personal fulfillment, relationship experiences, and preferred lifestyles rather than by adverse childhood experiences. The findings may inform mental health practitioners and policymakers by shedding light on the underlying factors influencing men’s decisions to forgo fatherhood.

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