Family Facts: Social Science Research on Family, Society & Religion

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This finding looks at the relationship between family structure and children's well-being.

Compared with peers in intact families and those in stepfamilies or single-parent families where either the biological father or mother was present, children who lived in households where no biological parent was present fared less well with regard to 24 out of 30 indicators of emotional well-being and behavior. This was true even when demographic factors were held constant. When compared with their peers from families with two biological parents, students who lived with neither biological parent scored lower with regard to academic performance, educational aspiration, a sense of self determination, and self-esteem, and they exhibited more behavioral problems.

Sample or Data Description
The study uses the base-year (1988) data of the National Education Longitudinal Studies (NELS).

Source
"The Well-Being of Adolescents in Households With No Biological Parents"
Sun, Youngmin
Journal of Marriage and Family Vol. 65, Number 4. November, 2003. Page(s) 894-909.

FindingID: 5859