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Associations Between Family Structure Change and Child Behavior Problems: The Moderating Effect of Family Income
Author(s) -
Ryan Rebecca M.,
Claessens Amy,
Markowitz Anna J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12283
Subject(s) - stepfamily , psychology , developmental psychology , family income , national longitudinal surveys , sample (material) , longitudinal study , demographic economics , economic growth , economics , medicine , chemistry , chromatography , pathology
This study investigated conditions under which family structure matters most for child well‐being. Using data from the Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth ( n = 3,936), a national sample of U.S. families, it was estimated how changes in family structure related to changes in children's behavior between age 3 and 12 separately by household income level to determine whether associations depended on families' resources. Early changes in family structure, particularly from a two‐biological‐parent to single‐parent family, predicted increases in behavior problems more than later changes, and movements into single and stepparent families mattered more for children of higher versus lower income parents. Results suggest that for children of higher income parents, moving into a stepfamily may improve, not undermine, behavior.