Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2004-03
Correlates of parents’ involvement with their adolescent children in restructured and biological two-parent families: The role of child characteristics
This study used data from both 225 fathers and mothers as well as their secondary
school age children to explore the role of child characteristics (sex, age,
self-esteem, and emotional and behavioural well-being) in mother’s and
father’s involvement in biological and restructured (stepfather)
two-parent families after controlling for known confounding factors. Parent
involvement was assessed by both the child and the parents. Child-reported
father’s involvement was positively related to child-reported
child’s self-esteem, and child-reported mother’s involvement was
higher for girls. The interaction between family structure and father-reported
child’s emotional and behavioural problems was significant in predicting
father-reported father’s involvement. Stepfathers reported higher
involvement when they viewed their stepchildren as psychologically well adjusted
than when they viewed them as having emotional and behavioural problems. As a group,
child characteristics were more significant in predicting fathers’ than
mothers’ involvement.
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