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Objective: This study examines how the quality of family relationships in stepfamilies during adolescence are associated with stepchildren's 4‐year college attendance in young adulthood. Background: On average, college attendance is lower for youth in stepfamilies when compared with those living with two biological parents, but many children thrive and attain high levels of education despite the risks associated with stepfamily formation. The role of parents is central to understanding youths' educational attainment, but studies have not examined how adolescents' relationships with each of their parents in stepfamilies are related to college attendance. Method: This study uses a sample of 881 respondents who were in stable stepfamilies from Wave 1 to Wave 3 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate both the direct and indirect pathways from family relationships at Wave 1 to young adults' college attendance at Wave 3. Results: Both higher quality stepfather–child relationships and nonresident father–child relationships were positively associated with young adults' college attendance. Mother–child relationship quality was not associated with college attendance. Conclusion: Maintaining children's ties to nonresident fathers after parental separation and fostering close ties to stepfathers when mothers repartner may have long‐term positive consequences for youths' educational attainment. The findings also suggest an important need for future research to examine children's relationships with each of their parents to better understand youth outcomes in stepfamilies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used data from Add Health to examine the relationship between shared participation in religious activities and positive stepfamily functioning as indicated by the closeness of the stepfather–stepchild bond, the closeness of the mother–child bond, the quality of the mother–stepfather relationship, the adolescent's perception of family belonging, and the stability of the mother–stepfather marriage. The study incorporated information on shared religious participation between adolescents and their mothers and stepfathers by examining whether adolescents reported frequently attending religious services or church‐related events with both parents, with one parent, or with neither parent. Shared religious attendance was positively associated with several aspects of stepfamily functioning above and beyond the positive association of family members' engagement in other types of shared activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents' perceptions of family belonging are associated with several well-being indicators, yet we know little about which factors influence these perceptions or how they differ by family structure. The current study uses nationally representative data from Add Health to examine predictors of adolescents' perceptions of family belonging in two-biological-parent families ( n = 9,686). The results are compared to a recent study using Add Health that examined family belonging in married mother-stepfather families. Findings suggest both similarities and differences across family structure in the factors associated with family belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study draws on nationally representative data from Waves I and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to prospectively examine the factors associated with different patterns of closeness between stepchildren and their stepfathers over the transition to adulthood in stably married stepfamilies ( N = 881). Results indicate much variability in how these relationships unfold over time, although a sizable minority of youth remained close to their stepfathers. Consistent with family systems theory, the quality of other family relationships is particularly important to understanding children's relationships with stepfathers as they develop over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study the authors drew on Waves I and III from Add Health to examine the closeness of parent-adolescent relationships in married mother-stepfather families ( N = 1,934). They used latent class analysis to identify family constellations defined by adolescents' relationships with all of their parents: mothers, stepfathers, and biological nonresident fathers. In particular, the authors (a) identified the most common underlying patterns of adolescent-parent relationships in stepfamilies; (b) determined the background characteristics that predict membership in these groups; and (c) examined how adolescents in these groups fare with respect to depressive symptoms, delinquency, and substance use. The results indicate that adolescents' relationships can be represented with 4 latent classes. Adolescents in these classes differ on measures of adjustment, and many of these differences persist into the early adult years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to the growing literature on factors associated with the formation of close relationships between stepfathers and stepchildren. The authors extend prior research by using nationally representative data from Add Health ( N = 179) to examine how factors existing prior to stepfamily formation are associated with the quality of stepfather-adolescent ties within the first year after married stepfathers join the household. Results from structural equation models revealed that both the quality of the mother-adolescent relationship and adolescent adjustment prior to stepfamily formation were significantly associated with the perceived quality of adolescents' relationships with their stepfathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has established that adolescents' perceptions of family belonging are associated with a range of well-being indicators and that adolescents in stepfamilies report lower levels of family belonging than adolescents in two-biological-parent families. Yet, we know little regarding what factors are associated with adolescents' perceptions of family belonging in stepfamilies. Guided by family systems theory, the authors addressed this issue by using nationally representative data (Add Health) to examine the associations between family characteristics and adolescents' perceptions of family belonging in stepfather families (N = 2,085). Results from structural equation models revealed that both the perceived quality of the stepfather-adolescent relationship and in particular the perceived quality of the mother-adolescent relationship were the factors most strongly associated with feelings of family belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although remarriage is a relatively common transition, little is known about how nonresident fathers affect divorced mothers' entry into remarriage. Using the 1979-2010 rounds of the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1979, the authors examined the likelihood of remarriage for divorced mothers ( N = 882) by nonresident father contact with children and payment of child support. The findings suggest that maternal remarriage is positively associated with nonresident father contact but not related to receiving child support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how the entrance of a stepfather influences adolescent ties to mothers and nonresident fathers and how prior ties to each biological parent influence the development of stepfather-stepchild ties. Data come from 1,753 adolescents in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health who lived with a single mother in Wave 1 who remained single, cohabited, or married by Wave 2, approximately 1 year later. Stepfamily formation had little consequence for adolescent-nonresident father ties. Adolescent-mother closeness, however, declined when cohabiting, but not married, stepfathers entered the household. Close ties to married stepfathers were more likely to develop when adolescents were closer to their mothers before stepfather entry. Prior ties to nonresident fathers were unrelated to stepfather-stepchild ties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined sons' and daughters' involvement with nonresident fathers and associated outcomes ( = 4,663). Results indicated that sons and daughters reported equal involvement with nonresident fathers on most measures of father investment, although sons reported more overnight visits, sports, and movies and feeling closer to their fathers compared to daughters. Sons and daughters generally benefited from nonresident father involvement in the same way in internalizing and externalizing problems and grades. Feeling close to one's nonresident father, however, was associated with lower internalizing problems for daughters than sons. These findings suggest that nonresident fathers should be encouraged to be equally involved with their sons and daughters, as such involvement was associated with higher levels of well-being for both sons and daughters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data on 294 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health who live with a biological father and have both a resident stepmother and a nonresident biological mother, this study examines the prevalence, antecedents, and consequences of adolescents’ closeness to each of their parents. Findings demonstrate that adolescents vary in their likelihood of having close relationships to resident fathers, resident stepmothers, and nonresident biological mothers, but when they can do so, they appear to benefit. Close relationships with both resident fathers and nonresident mothers are associated with fewer adolescent internalizing and externalizing problems. Closeness to resident stepmothers, however, is unrelated to these two outcomes. Results suggest that fathers play a particularly important role in these families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research indicates that closeness of the father-child bond following parental divorce is associated with better outcomes for children and adolescents. Unlike other investigations, this study takes a long-term developmental approach to understanding stability and change in postdivorce father-adolescent relationship closeness. Drawing on Add Health data (n = 483), we examine factors that explain (a) why some high-quality father-adolescent relationships remain the same after divorce whereas others decline, and (b) why some low-quality relationships are stable following divorce whereas others improve. High mother-offspring relationship quality and offspring feelings of well-being prevented close father-offspring relationships from deteriorating. Offspring’s childbearing and cohabitation following parental divorce increase closeness in father-offspring relationships that were not close prior to divorce. Although a majority of offspring experienced a decline in closeness following divorce, results from this study show that some very close father-offspring relationships are maintained and some poor relationships become closer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from a sample of 1,149 adolescents in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health who have both a resident stepfather and a nonresident biological father, this study examines the prevalence, antecedents, and consequences of adolescents' closeness to their stepfathers and nonresident fathers. Findings demonstrate that adolescents vary greatly in their likelihood of having close relationships with one or both of their fathers, but when they do so, they appear to benefit. Close relationships with both stepfathers and nonresident fathers are associated with better adolescent outcomes, with ties to stepfathers being somewhat more influential than ties to nonresident fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from 453 adolescents in Wave 2 of the National Survey of Families and Households, we examine how multiple dimensions of nonresident father involvement are associated with different dimensions of child well-being. Father-child relationship quality and responsive fathering are modestly associated with fewer externalizing and internalizing problems among adolescents. The quality of the mother-child relationship, however, has stronger effects on child well-being. Nevertheless, even if adolescents have weak ties to mothers, those who have strong ties to nonresident fathers exhibit fewer internalizing problems and less acting out at school than adolescents who have weak ties to both parents. Adolescents are worst off on a range of outcomes when they have weak ties to both their mothers and nonresident fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1995 wave of the Add Health study is used to investigate the relative influence of parent gender and residence on patterns of parental involvement with adolescents. Adolescent reports (N = 17,330) of shared activities, shared communication, and relationship quality with both biological parents are utilized. A multidimensional scaling analysis reveals that parent gender explains most of the variance in parent-adolescent involvement, with residential status playing a secondary yet a fundamental role in accounting for these patterns. Resident mothers who do not live with adolescents’ biological fathers engage in the broadest range of activities with their children. Unpartnered resident fathers display patterns of parenting that are as similar to mothers as they are to other fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the importance of the coparental relationship for nonresident fathers’ ties to their children. Using data from Wave 2 of the National Survey of Families and Households, we focus on the link between two dimensions of coparenting, cooperative coparenting and conflict over childrearing, and three dimensions of nonresident father involvement, contact, relationship quality, and responsive fathering. Cooperative coparenting predicts more frequent father-child contact, which in turn predicts higher relationship quality and more responsive fathering. Conflict over childrearing, however, is not significantly related to nonresident father involvement. Findings are consistent across different groups of children. Results suggest that cooperative coparenting between parents who live apart is associated with stronger ties between nonresident fathers and their children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how cohabitation differs for older and younger adults, drawing on data from 966 cohabitors in each of the first 2 waves of the National Survey of Families and Households. Older cohabitors report significantly higher levels of relationship quality and stability than younger cohabitors, although they are less likely to have plans to marry their partners. Few differences were found in the reasons to cohabit, although assessing compatibility is a more important reason for younger cohabitors. Findings suggest that older cohabitors are more likely to view their relationship as an alternative to marriage, whereas younger cohabitors are more likely to view their relationship as a prelude to it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is the first to examine racial and ethnic diversity in nonresident father involvement for multiple domains of father involvement. Data come from a sample of 5,377 adolescents with nonresident fathers in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). In addition to contact, we explore more intensive types of involvement and qualities of the father-child relationship that tap key dimensions of social capital found to be especially important in promoting child well-being. We find racial/ ethnic differences for many aspects of father involvement, some of which can be explained by structural differences, especially father's education and nonmarital childbearing. Our findings suggest that White youth with less educated fathers experience the greatest loss of social capital by living apart from their fathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how aspects of a father's religiousness are related to the type and quality of involvement with his children. Factors that potentially confound or explain the connection between religiousness and fathering are also examined. Multiple measures of religiousness and father-child ties are considered in a series of bivariate and multivariate regression models. The sample of 810 fathers comes from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MI-DUS). Results indicate that religious fathers are more involved fathers and that they report higher quality relationships; this is true for both married and divorced fathers. The greater involvement of religious fathers is explained only in part by demographic factors and the mediating influences of traditional attitudes and marital quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the implications of divorce in the grandparent generation for grandparent-grandchild relationships. The sample of 538 grandparents comes from the Iowa Youth and Families Project. Results indicate that many aspects of grandparenting are negatively associated with ever experiencing a divorce. Some of the negative effects of divorce are explained by ever-divorced grandparents' greater geographic distance from, and weaker bonds to, their adult children. Negative effects of divorce are stronger for grandfathers and paternal grandparents. Furthermore, a good grandparent-parent relationship can compensate for the negative effects of a grandparent's divorce on relations with grandchildren. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of the increasing percentage of individuals moving into the later years who have experienced a divorce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proposed that recent increases in parental divorce have inhibited the development of trust among offspring. This proposition is tested by examining whether parental divorce is associated with offspring trust in parents, intimate partners, and others. Data come from the Marital Instability Over the Life Course Study. Results reveal that although parental divorce is negatively associated with trust, these effects largely disappear once the quality of the past parent-teen relationship is taken into account. The one exception is trust in fathers where children of divorce remain at higher risk of mistrust. Trust in parents, intimates, and others is strongly linked to positive parent-teen relationships regardless of parental divorce. Contemporary relationship experiences also influence trusting intimates and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a study which explores the influence of past childhood experiences with grandparents on the current involvement of individuals with their own grandchildren. Data from the Iowa Youth and Families Project and the Iowa Single Parent Project were analyzed. The study examines the frequency of childhood experiences with grandparents, with attention to the correlates of both current grandparent involvement and past involvement with grandparents. Intergenerational transmission of values, behaviors, and beliefs in a variety of domains also has been documented, particularly between parents and children. It is hypothesized that past involvement with grandparents will have a stronger effect on current grandparent-grandchild relationships in two-parent families, in families where grandparents get along well with the parent, and in situations of closer geographic proximity. Consistent with the premise that family roles are learned through the culture and the interactions of family life, results show that the degree to which grandparents are involved in playing their role and the type of involvement they have with grandchildren are significantly influenced by having known their own grandparents and learned about them through multiple aspects of their intergenerational history.

The article examines differences between rural farm and nonfarm families on the extent and quality of relations between adolescents and their grandparents. The article is based on survey of 398 families. It is found that grandchildren in farm families live closer to their grandparents and have more contact with them when compared with nonfarm rural adolescents. Grandchildren in farm families also rate the quality of their relationship with paternal grandparents higher than those in nonfarm families. For farm families, work and family roles are interwoven in social and physical space. This collective enterprise has important implications for relations between grandparents and their adult children and grandchildren, from frequent social interactions to shared experience and understandings. Grandparents who visit often are more likely to establish a qualitatively stronger relation ship with grandchildren than those who rarely visit. The parent generation serves as an important mediating link between grandchildren and grandparents, either facilitating or hindering interaction and the quality of their relationship.

The article presents a study conducted in the United States that examines variation in the effects of nonresident father involvement on child well being. The data for this analysis was taken from the child supplement to the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). In addition to annual interviews with the respondents, data on the children of the NLSY women were collected in 1986 and 1988. The study focuses on children who we living in households with their mothers and had a father living elsewhere in 1988. The children who were assessed tend to be born to younger mothers, and this is particularly true of the older children. Five major child assessments have been employed in this study. They are Behavior Problems Index; Self-Perception Profile for Children--Scholastic Competence; Self-Perception Profile for children--Global Self-Worth; Peabody Individual Achievement Test--Mathematics; and Peabody Individual Achievement Test--Reading Recognition. The results show few interactive effects, and no identifiable set of conditions emerged that increased or reduced the importance of father involvement for child well being.