Family lives and friendships: The perspectives of children in step-, single-parent, and nonstep families

TY - JOUR

T1 - Family lives and friendships: The perspectives of children in step-, single-parent, and nonstep families

AU - Dunn, J

AU - Davies, L C

AU - O'Connor, T G

AU - Sturgess, W

PY - 2001/6

Y1 - 2001/6

N2 - Children's reports on their experiences in different family settings (stepfamilies, single-parent families, and intact families), their contact with friends, and the quality of their friendships were studied with data from 238 children drawn from a community sample. A particular focus was on children's confiding and communication: children's recall of communication about family transitions and their current communication about stepfamily issues with family and friends. Friends were found to be key confidants. The relations between children's family lives (confiding, parent-child relationships, family activities, involvement in parental conflict, and communication about stepfamily issues) and their friendships were investigated and found to be linked to biological relatedness and family setting.

AB - Children's reports on their experiences in different family settings (stepfamilies, single-parent families, and intact families), their contact with friends, and the quality of their friendships were studied with data from 238 children drawn from a community sample. A particular focus was on children's confiding and communication: children's recall of communication about family transitions and their current communication about stepfamily issues with family and friends. Friends were found to be key confidants. The relations between children's family lives (confiding, parent-child relationships, family activities, involvement in parental conflict, and communication about stepfamily issues) and their friendships were investigated and found to be linked to biological relatedness and family setting.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035354501&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1037/0893-3200.15.2.272

DO - 10.1037/0893-3200.15.2.272

M3 - Article

SN - 1939-1293

VL - 15

SP - 272

EP - 287

JO - Journal of Family Psychology

JF - Journal of Family Psychology

IS - 2

ER -