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Published on: September 19, 2019
Family Complexity and Children's Behavior Problems over Two U.S. Cohorts
Paula Fomby1, Ariane Ophir2, Marcia J Carlson2
1Survey Research Center and Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, 426 Thompson St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
Insights
Family complexity prevalence is stable, but it does not cause child behavior problems. Instead, children
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Sociology of the family
- Child behavior studies
Background:
- Family complexity is increasingly prevalent and multidimensional.
- Its association with child behavior may be changing over time.
- Recent cohorts show increased family complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the prevalence of family complexity and its link to children's externalizing behaviors.
- To analyze these associations across children's life course and historical time.
- To investigate changes in the family complexity-behavior association between cohorts.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 1997 and 2014 Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement cohorts.
- Analyzed U.S. children aged 0-12 years born since 1985 (N=5,030).
- Employed ordinary least squares regression and difference-in-difference models to assess associations and changes over time.
Main Results:
- Family complexity prevalence remained stable over the past two decades.
- Contrary to expectations, increasing family complexity did not correlate with elevated behavior problem scores.
- Children exhibiting behavior problems were more likely to experience parental union dissolution or acquire step/half-siblings prior to these family structure changes.
Conclusions:
- Prevalence and precursors of complex family organization were consistent across recent child cohorts.
- The link between family complexity and child behavior problems may stem from selection processes.
- Selection mechanisms involve parental family formation trajectories and children's pre-existing behaviors, not family change itself.
Objective:
We consider the prevalence of family complexity and its association with children's externalizing behavior problems over children's life course and over historical time.
Background:
A growing literature has demonstrated the prevalence and multidimensional nature of family complexity and its association with child behavior. The nature/strength of this association may have changed in recent cohorts as family complexity has become more common.
Method:
Data are from the 1997 and 2014 cohorts of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement. Samples represent U.S. children ages 0-12 years born since 1985 (N=5,030). Ordinary least squares regression estimated change in the association between family complexity and behavior between cohorts. Difference-in-difference models estimated baseline and longitudinal differences in children's behavior as linked to family complexity.
Results:
The prevalence of family complexity has stabilized over the last two decades, and the antecedents to parental repartnering and complex sibship organization remain similar. The expectation that increasing family complexity contributes to elevated behavior problem scores was not supported. Instead, children who eventually acquired a step- or half-sibling or who experienced parents' union dissolution had elevated behavior problems prior to those changes.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of and precursors to complex family organization were stable across recent child cohorts. The observed association between family complexity and child behavior problems may be attributable to selection mechanisms linked to both parents' family formation trajectories and to children's behavior, rather than to family change itself.
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