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Objective: This study examines whether the quality of the stepfather–child relationship differs among sole physical custody (SPC) and joint physical custody (JPC) families and compares the association between the father–child and the stepfather–child relationship across the two physical custody arrangements. Background: An increasing number of families opt for JPC after separation or divorce. Because children in JPC families spend more time with their biological father than children in mother SPC families, the question arises whether JPC affects the quality of the stepfather–child relationship. Method: We investigated 279 SPC and 182 JPC stepfather families with children aged 1 to 14 from the Family Models in Germany study. Ordinary least squares regression models and interaction effects were estimated. Results: The quality of the stepfather–child relationship was generally high in both SPC and JPC families and did not differ between the two arrangements. The father–child relationship was positively, albeit weakly, associated with the stepfather–child relationship in both arrangements, indicating spillover effects. Conclusion: JPC does not affect the quality of the stepfather–child relationship. Implications: This study does not provide any evidence that JPC is an ill‐suited physical custody arrangement when considering the quality of relationships in stepfamilies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although negative ties may cause stress and harm well-being, they are also considered fundamental in close and ongoing relationships. This study distinguishes positive, negative, and – when characterized by both valences – ambivalent ties. Analyzing almost 10,000 personal networks from the Swiss CH-X study shows that: (1) ambivalence among family members is more prevalent than among non-family members, (2) ambivalent family dyads or triads are not negatively associated with well-being, and (3) certain balanced family triads are associated with higher well-being and an unbalanced non-family triad is associated with lower well-being. These results suggest that conflicts are not necessarily detrimental to young adults' well-being. • Ambivalence among family members is more prevalent than among non-family members. • Ambivalent family dyads or triads are not associated with lower well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although 'the family' is arguably the most fundamental of all social networks, surprisingly little data are available that enable researchers to study the full web of relationships between family members. Mapping family relationships from multiple – preferably 'all' – family members' perspectives enables understanding relational dependencies, such as how parental divorce reverberates through the network. This article introduces a multi-actor family network survey method aimed at collecting 'complete' family network data. It discusses the design and implementation of the Lifelines Family Ties project. In this data collection project, a total of 160 children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and stepfamily members reported on their current and past well-being and their family relationships (contact, support, affection) with 524 family members, resulting in a dataset covering nearly 900 relationships. The article concludes by providing a preview of possible analysis techniques for future users of the Lifelines Family Ties dataset or other future multi-actor family network data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]