ABSTRACTOvert and covert conflict across two parental dyads (biological mother and biological father, biological mother and stepfather) in the same family were examined in relation to emerging adults’ mental health (i.e., perceived stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety) and aggression (i.e., relational aggression, verbal hostility). In this study, the results from dominance analyses and relative weight analyses revealed the most important interparental conflict variable related to males’ mental health and aggression was conflict between biological mothers and stepfathers (particularly covert). For females, conflict between biological parents (especially covert) was most important to mental health, while conflict between mothers and stepfathers was more strongly related to females’ aggression (particularly overt for verbal hostility and covert for relational aggression).KEYWORDS: Aggressionbiological mother/fatherdepressionemerging adultsinterparental conflictrelative importancestepfatherstress AcknowledgmentsBakhtiari, F. (PI). Interparental conflict in stepfamilies and its impact on emerging adults’ well-being. Thesis Research Award. Office of Research and Graduate Studies, California State University, Northridge. Funded for $1,000 in Spring 2015.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThe work was supported by the Bakhtiari, F. (PI). Interparental conflict in stepfamilies and its impact on emerging adults’ well-being. Thesis Research Award. Office of Research and Graduate Studies, California State University, Northridge. Funded for $1,000 in Spring 2015.
Following parental separation, fathers’ greater or lesser parental involvement relative to the other parent may be differently accounted for by father, child, and coparental factors. A representative sample of 671 separated fathers completed questionnaires two and four years after separation. For fathers less involved than the other parent, a better coparenting relationship accounts for greater T1 involvement, but predicts a decrease in involvement by T2. For fathers more involved than the other parent, a better coparenting relationship accounts for more balanced involvement of both parents at T1 and T2. For all fathers, more custody time accounts for greater T1 and T2 involvement and greater psychological well-being accounts for greater T1 involvement. Implications for intervention and research are discussed.
ABSTRACTThe current study investigated Israeli kindergarten children’s construction of sense of coherence during their parents’ divorce. 120 kindergarten children aged 4-6, whose parents had divorced in the previous two years took part in a semi-structured interview. Qualitative content analysis showed that the children perceived the divorce as both presenting difficulties of confusion and frequent transitions, and as enabling the benefit of double gifts and fewer arguments. The children structured the meaning of the concept of family as a form of conduct in which they see the help the family provides as well as the split and the expansion of the family. They gave emotional meaning to divorce - on the one hand sorrow and longing, and on the other, the fantasy of a reunion of their divorced parents. These findings are important for understanding the unique perspective of kindergarten children regarding their parents’ divorce and ways to help them accordingly.KEYWORDS: Children’s reaction to divorcequalitative researchsense of coherence Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
ABSTRACTABSTRACTIn this paper we identify and validate the structure of the acrimony scale and introduce two shorter versions: the AS-18 and the AS-10. Investigations using two large, independent samples of family mediation clients suggest a two-factor solution. We make a theoretical case for distinguishing between acrimony and conflict, and for measuring both acrimony and the capacity for cooperation remaining in a relationship between separated parents. We find that both dimensions can be retained in the shorter versions of the scale, which nevertheless demonstrate good reliability and validity. The subscales for the AS-10 consist of six items measuring "relationship hostility" and four items measuring "parental cooperativity." These short subscales may be useful in practice and research settings where it is necessary to measure either parental acrimony, potential for cooperation, or both, whilst minimizing respondent burden.KEYWORDS: Acrimonyconflictfamilyseparationco-parentingparental co-operationmediationshort scalesfactor analysisitem response theory Disclosure statementDr. Bickerdike and Dr. Heard declare their employment with an organization providing Family Dispute Resolution (mediation) services.Additional informationFundingParts of this research were supported by the federation of Relationships Australia.
Motherhood is a culturally and individually important role that shapes identities and behaviors. Typically, we think of motherhood in biological terms, but women are mothers in a variety of other ways. Double mothers are women who are both biological and stepmothers. Role identity theory was used to assess the mother identities and roles of 31 double mothers. This theory suggests that identities are shaped by cultural role definitions with effects on individual affect based on role enactment. Results of in-depth interviews demonstrated that these women sought to enact both of their mother roles in terms of the biological mother-role but were limited in doing so for their stepmother role. This was due to the stigma applied to stepfamilies as well as the influence of their stepchildrens’ biological mothers. The distress experienced by these women shows the lack of adjustment by social structures to changing family forms.
ABSTRACT While research has focused on self-concept before or after marriage dissolution, very little research has investigated how individuals understand and evaluate themselves during the longer-lasting and usually highly conflictual divorce process. Qualitative interview data with Lithuanians 6 months or more into their divorce processes suggest that divorcees experience marital dissolution as an interchange of three main processes: losing valued self-parts, a (re)birth of a more valued self, and hanging-self as being stuck in ongoing uncertainty with a need to protect valued parts of oneself. The theoretical and practical implications of these research findings are discussed.
Background Few studies have examined dissolution rates among cohabitating and married couples, using prospective data.
We examined the validity of the Japanese versions of the Revised Questionnaire for Couples in Stepfamilies and the Remarriage Belief Inventory in Japan where social and cultural patterns of divorce and remarriage are substantially different from the West. Participants were 548 married Japanese individuals in stepfamilies. Both scales’ validity, factor structure, and internal consistency were confirmed. The links between remarriage beliefs, marital adjustment and various challenges experienced by couples in stepfamilies were examined. Stepparents’ belief that success is slim was associated with biological parents’ low marital quality and the difficulties they experienced as spouses. Biological fathers’ belief that adjustment should come quickly was related to stepmothers’ difficulties in fulfilling the social and family dimension in stepfamilies.
ABSTRACT Divorce education programs have increased in prevalence over time due to the high and sustained rate of divorce in the United States. These programs have been shown to improve familial relationship quality post-divorce, especially for children, with many states requiring parents to complete a divorce education program prior to the issuance of the final judgment. However, divorce education programs vary greatly in length, content, and goals due to the lack of standardization. Using the Divorce-Stress-Adjustment Theory, this systematic review focuses on identifying assessment tools that can be utilized to operationalize common content areas identified by Schramm and colleagues in 2018 that are delivered within many divorce education programs. In total, 18 measures were identified that could be used to operationalize a set of eight constructs and sub-constructs. Recommendations are provided for assessment tools that could effectively be used for program evaluation and suggestions are made for future research.
This study reports on the short-term outcomes of the multi-family group intervention "No Kids in the Middle" (NKM). NKM is aimed at decreasing parental conflicts, hostile attributions about the ex-partner, and perceived social network disapproval of the ex-partner in high-conflict divorces (HCD). Interventions such as NKM are important as persistent parental conflicts can have severe negative consequences for children. For the current study, 167 HCD parents completed questionnaires at the start and end of NKM and at 6-month follow-up. A convenience sample of 136 divorced parents who were not in high conflict completed a single assessment. Their scores were used to define whether the reliable change index (RCI) for the HCD group represented a meaningful change. Parental conflict and social network disapproval of parents in a HCD decreased throughout all assessments. Hostile attributions did not change. The results provide initial evidence that NKM might help reduce conflict in HCD.
ABSTRACT We compared attitudes about child support between the United States and South Korean respondents, using a multiple segment factorial vignette to gather quantitative and qualitative data from 132 Americans and 132 South Koreans. South Koreans were more likely than U.S. respondents to think child support should be paid. Respondents in both countries thought fathers should pay more child support when mothers had sole custody than when both parents shared custody. Remarriage, combined with custody, affected respondents’ attitudes. The primary rationale of U.S. respondents focused on issues of fairness, while Koreans highlighted fathers’ responsibility and obligation. Cross-cultural differences in attitudes regarding child support payments, and their implications for support compliance rates in the United States and South Korea, are discussed.
We are excited to announce that beginning with the first issue of 2024, the Journal of Divorce & Remarriage will be rebranded with a new name (Family Transitions) and focus. To understand our rebranding decision, it may be helpful to provide some historical background on the Journal. In response to the increasing divorce rates from the late 1960s throughout the 1970s, the Journal of Divorce was established in 1977 (Fisher, 1977). According to Fisher’s (1977) editorial, the Journal’s original focus was to target practicing professionals, including family therapists, counselors, family lawyers, sex educators, clergy, social workers, and family court judges. Toward the end of the editorial, Fisher mentioned that the Journal would consider publishing some research, particularly in cases where the research articles support the Journal’s applied mission. By the early 1990s, the divorce rate had stabilized, and professionals were understandably placing more focus on remarriage following divorce and the stepfamily contexts that often follow the experience of divorce. With this increased attention devoted to stepfamilies, the Journal underwent its first name change in 1990 to The Journal of Divorce & Remarriage (Everett, 1990). Everett noted that divorce processes influence how well new stepfamilies function and develop. Therefore, because there is a mutually reciprocal relation between the experiences of divorce and post-divorce life (i.e., remarriage), scholars at the Wingspread Conference on the Remarried Family in 1987 recommended (successfully) that the Journal expand its name to include “remarriage.” The Journal retained its focus on application, but expanded in both the scope of the topics covered and the emphasis placed on research, increasing the Journal’s applicability, expanding its reach, and providing valuable information to those working at the forefront of increasing our understanding of divorce and remarriage contexts. Recent changes in the field have led us to conclude that the Journal would benefit from its 2 name change, accompanying an updated and expanded focus that more accurately captures the nuances and complexities of contemporary family structures and changes. We seek to continue the important legacy of this Journal as a premier outlet for work on post-divorce families, while also updating its focus to capture the broad variability in family structure forms and histories (Cavanagh & Fomby, 2019; Lesthaeghe, 2014). A number
ABSTRACT We sought to determine the influence of the most common methods of contraception and natural methods of family planning (NFP) on the odds of divorce among women of reproductive age. The influence of use of family planning methods and other factors on risk of divorce was examined in 5,403 ever-married women from the National Survey of Family Growth (2015–2019). Chi-square and relative risk odds ratios (ORs) of divorce were calculated for the family planning predictor variables (ever-use vs. never-use). Logistic regression analysis examined the influence of family planning methods relative to other known influencers of divorce (income, education level, etc.). Chi-square analysis revealed significant (p < .01–p < .001) ORs for ever-use of the hormonal pill (OR = 1.54), female and male sterilization (ORs = 1.78 and 2.02, respectively), male condoms (OR = 1.67), and natural methods of family planning (OR = 0.66, 0.53). Logistic regression indicated ever-use of contraception was associated with increased odds of divorce, from 30% to 200%, whereas ever-use of NFP was associated with 31% lower odds. Poverty level and education levels did not meaningfully influence divorce odds. In conclusion, ever-married women who have ever used NFP have lower odds of divorce, whereas those who have ever used most the common contraceptives have higher odds of divorce. Further research is needed to understand how and why choices in family planning affect stability of marriage.
Using data collected from divorced parents (N = 491; 49.7% mothers) during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, March 31st through April 3rd 2020, we evaluated divorced parents’ perceptions of how the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting their post-divorce coparenting relationships. Overall, 67.8% of parents reported no impacts of the pandemic on their coparenting relationship, with 21% reporting a negative effect, and 9% a positive effect. Coparenting communication frequency, coparenting satisfaction, and boundary ambiguity were associated with how the pandemic was affecting post-divorce coparenting relationships. Results can aid family practitioners in developing resources to help divorced parents navigate novel life stressors.
Globally, family systems are being diversified as most children are no longer living with their biological parents due to divorce, remarriage, separation and unmarried personhood leading to a rise in stepfamilies. Despite the rise of stepfamilies in the sub-Saharan African countries, they have been largely under-studied, especially among the adolescent population. This study explored the nature of experiences and their determining factors as well as impact on adolescent stepchildren in the Ghanaian context. A purposive sample of 22 adolescents who were living or had lived in a stepfamily household in the Koforidua Metropolis of Ghana were interviewed; and their responses analyzed thematically. Findings show that stepchildren had both pleasant and unpleasant experiences which had psychological, social and academic implications to their wellbeing. Precipitating factors bothered on stepchildren's conduct, lack of blood ties between stepchildren and stepfamilies and lack of prospective benefits to stepparents. These findings underscore the need for psychological interventions for adolescents within the stepfamily context to help address the unpleasant experiences that may negatively impact on their social and psychological wellbeing.
ABSTRACT Justice, relationship quality, and sacredness are interconnected facets in the discussion of marriage as a legal, social, and religious institution. Professional interactions with couples, however, are often allocated to specialized individuals: clergy in marital preparation programs and wedding ceremonies, counselors during marital challenges, or lawyers in divorce proceedings. This study explores how cultural and societal values influence the attitudes of such professionals toward marriage. In this work, 172 German lawyers, counselors, and Christian clergy answered an online survey. Results from statistical analysis revealed that attitudes differed significantly between professions, denominations, and genders. This article discusses these differences and how interdisciplinary collaboration may benefit couples during marriage, divorce, and remarriage.
We examine the role that identity plays in the divorce decision-making process according to interviews with wave one respondents of the National Divorce Decision-Making study. Our sample (n = 30) consisted of men and women who were actively thinking about getting divorced. We present the results of a grounded theory approach to understanding the process of thinking about divorce and the role one's identity may play in that decision-making process. Participants considered different aspects of their identity such as their identity as a part of their marriage, how they see themselves, how they believe others see them, and whether the decision to divorce is viewed by them as a "failure." Further, we recommend language therapists might use to assess and explore the influence of personal identity when interviewing people who are considering divorce.
Parental alienation (PA), typically identified in divorced families, is a form of nonvoluntary family distancing wherein one parent employs maladaptive communication patterns to sever the relationship between the other parent and child(ren). This study examines the reconnection phase of PA from the alienated parent perspective, elucidating tensions salient to PA as well as enacted communication management strategies. Alienated parents who experienced PA and reinitiated contact were recruited to participate in retrospective interviews. Four dialectical tensions and corresponding communication strategies were identified. Data provide a more holistic understanding of PA reconnection experiences. Findings are vital to building supportive resources for PA.
To estimate the survival time of marriages, we investigate influential factors, such as geographical area, educational level, income, children, ethnicity, and economic class, affecting marriages in the United States. Despite evidence that divorce has increased in the Unties States, research has not widely applied survival analysis which can evaluate several factors related to the divorce rate and marriage survival. Drawing from diverse areas of scholarship, we point out that divorce is circumstantial based on multiple social, cultural, and economic variables. Different survival analysis techniques were applied to predict divorce in the United States using a dataset, focusing on four different states, over a time period of 35 years. We discover that numerous social and economic factors drastically influence the survival time of a marriage. With respect to survival, having children decreases marriage survival and a high level of education or a high income increases marriage survival. Experimental results how that 51.4\% of the studied samples would experience divorce after 35 years of marriage. Applications of a survival analysis model has great potential in social science settings. Our findings suggest that wealth and education are key to understanding the greater longevity of marriage. A clear understanding of covariates and patterns, can in turn, help agencies to identify issues, predict future behavior, and enable them to provide proactive support for affected families.
Deciding to divorce can be confusing, with a clear path moving forward elusive. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of 30 interviews of individuals deciding whether to divorce to gain a better understanding of the role that children and finances play in this process. Key findings include that children and finances are not only reasons to stay in a marriage (barriers to divorce) but are also reasons people give for why they are interested in leaving the marriage. We provide an in-depth analysis on this phenomenon as well as suggestions for clinicians working with couples deciding to divorce.
