scholarly journals Good Things Come in Threes: Single-Parent Multigenerational Family Structure and Adolescent Adjustment

Demography ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Deleire ◽  
Ariel Kalil
2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 944-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon E. Cavanagh

As patterns of union formation and dissolution in adult lives become complex, the living arrangements of American children are becoming increasingly fluid. With a sample ( N = 12,843) drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, this study attempted to capture this complexity by mapping out children's family structure histories across their early life course, investigating the implications of these arrangements for their general adjustment, and finally, identifying family processes that explained these associations. The findings suggest that a sizable minority of young people experience dynamic family structure arrangements. Moreover, family structure at adolescence best predicted later emotional distress, and family structure at adolescence plus an indicator of cumulative family instability across childhood best predicted current marijuana use. More so than indicators tapping social control, levels of family connectedness and parent—adolescent relationship quality were key conduits for these associations.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aayushi

India witnesses high rates of intimate partner violence [37.7% incidence in the South East Asia zone per WHO data, 2012]. Taboos about marital separation and divorce exist across socioeconomic strata, meaning, a large number of Indian children grow up in discordant households witness chronic abuse of one or both parents. Another belief that binds many discordant partners is that separation or divorce leads to poor mental health and personality outcomes in progenies, long term. On the contrary, prior studies in Western samples have shown that there are significant negative outcomes for individuals vicariously exposed early childhood adversity including a discordant or violent household. The objective of this study was to assess whether resilience, a key personality attribute, differs among college-aged individuals who grew up in traditional two-parent households without conflict, a discordant household or a single parent household. 116 participants aged 18-24 (M=20.3 SD= 1.2, 86F) were recruited at Ashoka University. Resilience scores were calculated using The Resilience Scale. A two-way ANOVA examining the effect of family structure and gender on resilience score showed that family structure but not gender has a direct effect on resilience scores [ F (2, 116) = 3.122 p=0.048] but the effect is barely significant. Post hoc (Bonferroni) testing indicated that individuals from single-parent households (M=136, SD=19.01) or discordant households (M=134, SD= 17.81, p=0.50) tended to score higher on resilience than individuals from two-parent, non-conflicted families (M=121.05, SD= 20.53, p=0.066). Contrary to popular belief, results suggest that growing up in traditional two-parent households do not offer any significant advantage over single-parent households as far as resilience is concerned. These results provide initial evidence against existing social taboos and can be expanded upon for further cross-cultural validation. Further, a qualitative study explores the experiences of relationships of young adults from the three family types.


Author(s):  
Naoko Sôma ◽  
Jiyoon Park ◽  
Sun-Hee Baek ◽  
Akemi Morita

While family structure continues to diversify in Korean society, society’s rejection of unmarried mothers continues to be a strong obstacle. However, Korean teenage mothers increasingly are deciding to raise their own children and live their daily lives in communities that hold biases and express rejection towards them. At present, the Single-Parent Family Support Act is central to the development of support policies for unmarried mothers, but as pointed out in this study, it is important to implement detailed, individualized, comprehensive, and continual assistance, not limited to those who opt for childrearing but also towards all unmarried mothers who opt for adoption. While raising one’s own child, it is important to provide long-term and continual support and support that helps the recipient foresee how she can step her way up to independence, rather than short-term and sporadic handouts.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijuan Wang ◽  
Jing Qi

Background. This study examines the association between family structure and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of adolescents in China.Methods. The participants included 612 adolescents (317 boys and 295 girls) from Shanghai with ages ranging from 10 to 16 years. Accelerometers were used to measure the duration of MVPA of adolescents, and questionnaires on family structure were completed by the parents of these adolescents.Results. Findings suggested that family structure significantly increased the likelihood of adolescents engaging in physical activity (PA) and explained 6% of MPVA variance. Adolescents living in single-parent households and step families were more physically active than those living in two-parent homes and with biological parents, respectively. However, adolescents residing with grandparents were less active than those living with neither grandparent. No significant difference was found in MVPA time between adolescents living with one sibling and those without siblings.Conclusion. Family environment may be considered in the development of PA interventions and policies, and adolescents living with their grandparents may be targeted in PA promotion.


2011 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathariya Mokrue ◽  
Yung Y. Chen ◽  
Maurice Elias

Previous studies have reported that children from single-parent households fare worse behaviorally than those from two-parent households. Studies examining single-parent households often fail to distinguish between single-mother and single-father households. Further, there are inconsistent findings regarding the effect of family structure on boys and girls. This study examined the relationship between family structures and behavior problems among 515 predominantly ethnic minority children in an urban setting, while taking into account the role of children’s gender. Results indicated that children from two-parent families consistently scored lower on measures of externalizing behavior and hyperactivity when compared to children from parent-absent households, but not when compared to those from single-parent households. Moderation analyses revealed significant interactions between family structure and children’s gender. Girls in single-mother households scored higher in externalizing behavior and hyperactivity than those in two-parent households. Behavior problems for boys in single-mother households did not differ from those in two-parent households. These findings encourage further research on parenting practices and child’s gender within various family structures.


2003 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 753-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Jui Han ◽  
Chien-Chung Huang ◽  
Irwin Garfinkel

Using the 1991-1998 Survey of Family Income and Expenditure, we analyzed the determinants of college attendance rates and educational expenditure among families with children in Taiwan, paying particular attention to the effects of family structure and family income. The findings indicate that higher family income is consistently associated with higher college attendance rates and spending on education. Children in single-parent families have lower college attendance rates than children in two-parent families. Furthermore, single-parent families spend less on education. When family income is taken into account, single-mother families are not significantly different from two-parent families on the outcome variables. Single-father families, however, are estimated to have significantly lower college attendance rates and educational expenditure after controlling for family income. These results suggest that improving the economic security of single-parent families will increase their children's attainment in single-mother families but will not eliminate the attainment gap between children in single-father and two-parent families.


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