Thesis (MA (Psychology))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / In recent years, the issue of fathers’ involvement with their families has increasingly gained support and currently more research focuses on fathers’ involvement and what fathers must do to become more involved with their families. The aim of this study was to gain insight into boys’ perception of fathers’ involvement in the lives of boys. The participants were boys in Grade 7 and 8 whose parents are married and who both live in the same house with them. The data of this explorative, qualitative study were gathered by means of focus group discussions. The 18 participants who complied with the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into three focus groups of six participants each. The groups were asked an open question and the discussion was audio-recorded. The group discussions were transcribed, after which the data were loaded onto the Atlas.ti program for analysis. In this analysis technique, related aspects (termed ‘codes’, which are formed by related quotations by participants) are grouped to form families (of codes). Based on the description by Lamb, Pleck, Charnov and Levine (1987) of fathers’ involvement and the qualitative data analysis, content could be given to the families responsibility, accessibility and engagement. The family responsibility, which includes any activities of the father regarding the child’s direct care or arrangements regarding the care of the child, is the largest family in terms of number of codes and quotations. The most prominent code in this family in terms of number of quotations compared to the other codes, is to provide. This is followed by the codes discipline, set right and protect. Accessibility is the second largest family and entails the father being present as well as his availability to his son. The most important codes in this family are talking, to be there for the child and to pay attention to the child. The third family, engagement, includes the experience of caring, direct contact and interaction between the father and his son. The most important codes that emerged in this family are to demonstrate love and to hug. The specific content given to the three components of fathers’ involvement can be applied with success in the development and presentation of parent guidance programmes.