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Comparing Children's Behavior Problems in Biological Married, Biological Cohabitating, and Stepmother Families in the

M Rachél Hveem1, Samuel C M Faulconer1, Mikaela J Dufur1

  • 1Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|December 23, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Children in married biological families show fewer behavior problems. However, children living with a stepmother or in cohabiting biological families exhibit more externalizing behavior issues compared to those in married biological families.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Family Studies
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Extensive research indicates children in married biological families have fewer externalizing and internalizing behavior problems.
  • Marriage is suggested to offer a uniquely protective family environment.
  • Less is known about children in married stepfamilies, particularly those with stepmothers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare behavior problems in children across different family structures: married biological parents, married fathers with stepmothers, and cohabiting biological parents.
  • To investigate the specific outcomes for children with stepmothers compared to married biological parents and cohabiting biological parents.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) sweep 6.
  • Compared children's behavior problems across three distinct family structures.
  • Analyzed both internalizing and externalizing behavior problems.

Main Results:

  • No significant relationship was found between family structure and children's internalizing behavior problems.
  • Children living with a stepmother and children in cohabiting biological families showed more externalizing behavior problems than those in married biological families.
  • Physical and social family environments are crucial factors in explaining differences in externalizing behavior problems within married-parent families.

Conclusions:

  • Family structure impacts externalizing behavior problems, with stepmother families and cohabiting biological families showing higher rates compared to married biological families.
  • Internalizing behavior problems did not significantly differ across the studied family structures.
  • A comprehensive understanding requires considering both physical and social family environments when examining behavior differences.

Keywords:
cohabitatingexternalizing behavior problemsfamily structureinternalizing behavior problemsstepmothers

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