Stepfamily Relationship Quality and Children's Internalizing and Externalizing Problems

• Author: Melissa A. Lippold,Todd M. Jensen,Gregory M. Fosco,Roger Mills‐Koonce
• Published date: 01 June 2018
• Date: 01 June 2018
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12284

Stepfamily Relationship Quality and Children’s

Internalizing and Externalizing Problems

TODD M. JENSEN*

MELISSA A. LIPPOLD

†

ROGER MILLS-KOONCE

‡

GREGORY M. FOSCO

§

The stepfamily literature is replete with between-group analyses by which youth residing

in stepfamilies are compared to youth in other family structures across indicators of

adjustment and well-being. Few longitudinal studies examine variation in stepfamily func-

tioning to identify factors that promote the positive adjustment of stepchildren over time.

Using a longitudinal sample of 191 stepchildren (56% female, mean age =11.3 years), the

current study examines the association between the relationship quality of three central

stepfamily dyads (stepparent–child, parent–child, and stepcouple) and children’s internal-

izing and externalizing problems concurrently and over time. Results from path analyses

indicate that higher levels of parent–child affective quality are associated with lower levels

of children’s concurrent internalizing and externalizing problems at Wave 1. Higher levels

of stepparent–child affective quality are associated with decreases in children’s internaliz-

ing and externalizing problems at Wave 2 (6 months beyond baseline), even after control-

ling for children’s internalizing and externalizing problems at Wave 1 and other

covariates. The stepcouple relationship was not directly linked to youth outcomes. Our

findings provide implications for future research and practice.

Keywords: Children; Child Adjustment; Family Processes; Family Relationships; Stepfamily

Fam Proc 57:477–495, 2018

Stepfamilies are one of the fastest growing family forms in the United States. A step-

family is formed when one or both adults in a new committed relationship bring with

them a child or children from a previous relationship (Ganong & Coleman, 2004). Nea rly

one-third of all children live in a stepfamily household before reaching adulthood

(Bumpass, Raley, & Sweet, 1995; Pew Research Center, 2011).

Despite increasing ubiquity, stepfamilies generally face a number of stressors not experi-

enced by members of biological nuclear families. This is attributable, in part, to the lack of

legal and social clarity surrounding stepfamily relationships and roles (Coleman, Ganong,

& Russell, 2013). Common stepfamily stressors include shifts in the quality of parent–child

relationships, conflicting family cultures and expectations, family boundary ambiguity,

stepparenting issues, uncertainty among children about how new stepparents should fit

*DoctoralCandidate, Schoolof Social Work, University of NorthCarolina at ChapelHill, Chapel Hill, NC,USA.

†

AssistantProfessor, Schoolof Social Work, University of NorthCarolina at ChapelHill, Chapel Hill, NC,USA.

‡

Associate Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of North Carolina at

Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.

§

Assistant Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State Uni-

versity, State College, PA, USA.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Todd Jensen, School of Social Work,

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 325 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. E-mail: toddm.

jensen@gmail.com

477

Family Process, Vol. 57, No. 2, 2018 ©2017 Family Process Institute

doi: 10.1111/famp.12284

into their lives, and co-parental conflict (Jensen & Shafer, 2013; Jensen, Shafer, & Larson,

2014; Pace, Shafer, Jensen, & Larson, 2015; Papernow, 2013; van Eeden-Moorefield & Pas-

ley, 2013). Processes associated with parental divorce (e.g., loss of contact with one parent,

declines in parental support, loss of emotional support, conflict between ex-spouses) and other

precursory family transitions may exacerbate stepfamily stress (Amato, 2001; Amato & Keith,

1991; Coleman et al., 2013; Shafer, Jensen, & Holmes, 2016).

Although most children fare well in stepfamilies, children in stepfamilies are at an ele-

vated risk of experiencing adjustment problems (Hetherington, Bridges, & Insabella,

1998), and efforts to identify factors that promote stepfamily functioning and child adjust-

ment are warranted. Yet, most studies to date focus on stepfamily deficits, examine single

protective relationships (e.g., parent–child) cross-sectionally, and incorporate samples with

primarily young or adolescent children. The expansion of knowledge in this area can inform

the development and adaptation of programs, policies, and other interventions aimed at

helping children in stepfamilies thrive. Drawing on past research and theory, the purpo se

of this study is to assess the extent to which the quality of three central stepfamily relation-

ships—stepparent–child, parent–child, and stepcouple—is associated with the adjustment

of stepchildren concurrently and over time during the transition to adolescence.

Children’s Adjustment in Stepfamilies

The increasing prevalence of stepfamilies, a growing awareness of stepfamily chal-

lenges, and concern for children’s well-being led to an emergence of between-group analy-

ses by which family scholars assessed how members of stepfamilies differed from

members of other family types, often biological nuclear families, with respect to adjust-

ment (Coleman & Ganong, 1990; Coleman, Ganong, & Fine, 2000). Findings from nation-

ally representative studies and meta-analyses indicate that children in stepfamilies are at

an elevated risk of experiencing maladjustment in terms of academic, social, behavioral,

and psychological well-being (Hoffmann, 2002, 2006; Jeynes, 2006; Tillman, 2007).

Although these studies have been critical in understanding the risks associated with

stepfamily life, they do not help differentiate stepfamilies from one another, or identify

which characteristics may be linked to more effective adaptation among stepfamilies

specifically. Given the unique stressors and demands faced by stepfamilies, more studies

are needed to help understand families that are able to successfully adapt to new family

structures (Coleman & Ganong, 1990; Coleman et al., 2000, 2013). Thus, family scholars

have advocated for a normative-adaptive approach to stepfamily research that, instead of

comparing stepfamilies to biological nuclear families, focuses on understanding variation

among stepfamilies specifically. Because there exists great variability in stepfamily

adjustment, analyses on samples of stepfamilies can uncover factors that promote step-

family resilience in terms of both family functioning and individual well-being (Coleman

& Ganong, 1990; Coleman et al., 2013). Consistent with a normative-adaptive appro ach,

we investigate factors linked to positive youth adjustment in stepfamilies.

Family Relationships and Child Adjustment

The quality of family relationships may play a key role in promoting stepchildren’s

well-being—including stepparent–child, parent–child, and stepcouple relationships. Chil-

dren fare better in terms of psychological, social, and behavioral health when they per-

ceive relationships in the family as positive, available, stable, and secure (Cummings,

Schermerhorn, Davies, Goeke-Morey, & Cummings, 2006; Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007).

Thus, in stepfamily contexts, children in families that maintain positive relationships

may experience a greater sense of stability and support, whereas those with conflictual

family relationships may experience the transition to stepfamily life as a significant loss,

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