The objective of this study was to explore the problems existing in stepfamilies, which affect the relationship between stepparents and adolescent children and their effects on the different systems within these families. A qualitative research approach was followed. Three focus groups were conducted with the respondents. These focus groups were exploring the way things are regarding the adolescent stepchildren’s appraisal of the problems of having a stepparent, relating to him/her; their available coping resources; and their coping responses in adjusting to the situation. The respondents reported limited family interaction. It was also discovered that they were not freely expressing their feelings, especially about their stepparents. Their respondents, their biological parents and their stepparents have received limited professional assistance regarding their to-be-established stepfamilies. The outcomes of this study have shown that the stepfamily members need more professional support in terms of coping with the family situation. The stepfamily members need guidance and assistance with the coping responses with the stressors of having a stepfamily. Further research is recommended to describe the stepparents and biological parent’s relationship to their adolescent stepchildren, in order to provide comparative data for the present study. A study can also be conducted to determine further needs of stepfamilies, especially before remarriage, with regards to professional support services, for instance pre-marital counseling, legal issues pertaining to inheritance, wills, maintenance of stepchildren, adoption and custody of stepchildren. / Dissertation (MA (SW) (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

[pt] O presente trabalho teve como objetivo investigar o sistema familiar recasado, a partir da perspectiva dos filhos do primeiro casamento. Buscou-se, com este estudo, compreender como as crianças vêem as relações familiares existentes entre elas e seus pais, mães, padrastos, madrastas, irmãos e avós. As transições pelas quais a família recasada passa, iniciadas por um processo de divórcio, seguido pela inclusão de novos membros através do novo relacionamento de um ou de ambos os pais, tornam o sistema familiar mais complexo, demandando de todos readaptações e ajustes. Os papéis dos membros da família de primeiro casamento não se ajustam aos deste novo arranjo, e cada membro precisa encontrar seu lugar para que se sinta pertencendo à família. Desenvolveu-se uma pesquisa de campo qualitativa, com entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas com sete crianças de famílias recasadas, sendo elas filhas do primeiro casamento. Os entrevistados tinham entre dez e treze anos, todos residentes na cidade do Rio de Janeiro e pertencentes às classes média e média alta da população. Os dados foram analisados a partir do método da análise de conteúdo e, da fala dos entrevistados, emergiram cinco categorias: papel de pai e papel de mãe; participação da família ampliada; relacionamento com padrasto/madrasta; coparentalidade; e, relações de fratria. Ao olhar dos filhos, parece ser importante que as funções familiares sejam bem definidas, para que o relacionamento familiar seja visto de forma positiva. A partir dos resultados encontrados, pode-se sugerir que, na visão da criança, o modelo de família de primeiro casamento ainda é uma forte referência. Aponta-se também para o importante suporte oferecido pela família ampliada, para dificuldades no relacionamento coparental pós-divórcio e para a importância de incluir os novos membros da família recasada. / [en] This study aimed to investigate the remarried family system, from the perspective of the children from intact families. We have tried to understand how children see the relationships between them and their fathers, mothers, stepfathers, stepmothers, brothers and grandparents. The transitions in which the members from remarried family go through, begining with divorce, followed by the addition of new members through the new relationship of one or both parents, makes the system more complex, requiring adaptations from everyone involved. The roles of members from the traditional first marriage family do not fit this new arrangement, and each member needs to find their place and feel like they belong to the family. We have developed a qualitative research, with semi-structured interviews with seven children from remarried families, sons of the first marriage. The respondents were between ten and thirteen years old, residents in the city of Rio de Janeiro and belonging to the middle/upper classes of the population. The data was analyzed using content analysis method and from the speech of the interviewees, five categories emerged: the role of father and mother; participation of extended family; relationship with stepfather / stepmother; co-parenting; and, sibling relationships. In children s view, it seems important that family roles are well defined, so that the family relationship feels positive for them. From the results we found, we can suggest that, in the child s point of view, the traditional family model of first marriage is still a strong reference. The results also show the importance of the support provided by the extended family, of maintaining a cooperative coparental post-divorce relationship and of including the new members of the remarried family.

No description available.

The development of the Remarital Assessment Questionnaire for Divorced Persons (RAQ-D) is presented. Steps of development of the questionnaire are outlined: a review of remarital literature, interviews with remarried couples, the creation of a pool of items, review of the items by clinicians, and the development of a preliminary questionnaire. Data were collected through the internet. An Exploratory Factor Analysis of the data yielded scales relating to adjustment areas that are specific to remarital couples. The resulting scales exhibited acceptable level of internal consistency. Psychometric properties of the resulting scales are reported. Implications and recommendations of further development of the resulting scales are discussed.

Using a matched-partner dataset of 660 midlife couples, this study examined dating relationships at midlife from the perspective of both male and female partners. It also explored ways various life course factors such as marital history, children, cohabitation, relationship length, and social approval related to partners' perceptions of one another and to subsequent relationship quality. Findings indicated heterogeneity in midlife dating experiences. Actor and partner effects of enhancement were most often linked with greater satisfaction and fewer problems for never-married couples, yet enhancement was not related to relationship stability for them. For couples where only one partner had been previously married, partner enhancement was linked to stability but not to other relationship outcomes. Life course factors played an important role in midlife dating relationships. Further research is needed to examine longitudinal trends.

The concept of relationship self-regulation (RSR) has been shown to be related to relationship satisfaction, yet the differences in RSR ability based on couple type have yet to be examined. This study compared first married, remarried, and cohabiting individuals on their self-reported ability to implement RSR in their relationship, along with their report of satisfaction, positive communication, and negative communication in their relationships. Data was derived from 6,591 participants who were part of the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE) questionnaire data set. Multiple Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) statistics were used, and results showed that while mean differences in RSR were small across couple types, remarrieds reported significantly lower RSR levels than any other group, while first marrieds reported significantly higher RSR levels than any other group. Implications for relationship education programs and couple therapy are discussed with particular emphasis placed on ensuring that RSR related programs are being delivered to remarried individuals and couples.

No description available.

This study was designed to compare the financial situation of both remarried and first-married families from a large randomly selected sample. An adaptation of Campbell, Converse, and Rogers' "Model of Life Satisfaction" was used as the theoretical basis for this investigation. Data were compared to assess differences in (a) personal characteristics; (b) objective attributes, the personal resources of homeowners hip, income, education, employment status, and occupation; (c) perceived attributes, financial attitudes and management behaviors of respondents; (d) evaluated attributes, an assessment of financial situation; and (e) satisfaction level with financial situation. The respondents were a sub-set from pre-collected data sets entitled Financial Attitudes and Practices of Virginia Citizens, Form A and Form B, (N=1098). Responses to items identical in both survey forms were merged to create a new data base which was used in this study. A sample of 173 remarried and 173 first-married respondents was used. Descriptive statistics were used to profile the two respondent groups. Independent t test and chi-square analyses were used to compare responses by marital status. Remarried and first-married respondents were similar in personal characteristics except in ethnicity and gender role philosophy with the remarrieds having a more egalitarian than traditional philosophy. The two groups were similar in objective attributes except in educational attainment. The remarried spouses were not as well educated as their counterparts. Financial management behavior and attitudes were similar for both groups except in the area of risk management and capital accumulation. Both groups reported a positive net worth and adequate income, however, remarrieds were less satisfied with their financial situation than first-marrieds. The results of this study demonstrated differences in the financial domain of remarried and first-married households and pointed to areas of concern for educators and family life specialists. / Master of Science

This study was an investigation of the perceptions of 65 remarried couples of the issues and tasks set forth in current literature on remarriage that are said to be experienced in common by the remarried family as it integrates into an on-going, stable, supportive unit. Analysis of the survey instrument results indicated that all of the items were perceived as having been experienced in the past by at least 17% of the sample, with often considerable spread between the number experiencing an item and the number experiencing disturbance because of the item. There was strong evidence that the partners perceived a lessening over time in the degree of disturbance experienced in their remarriage and that certain aspects of remarriage family integration processes were more or less troublesome according to the role the individual partner played in the remarriage. Implications for family education and counseling are offered. / M.S.

Remarriages are more structurally diverse, last less time, are more vulnerable, and at greater risk for divorce than first marriages. The newlywed stage of marriage is a critical time when relationship patterns are established or reinforced that can impact a relationship for years to come, yet very few studies have examined remarried relationships in the newlywed stage. This study examined the association between marital interaction, positive communication, and marital instability in 348 newlywed remarried couple participants from a nationally representative sample. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) and actor-partner interdependence model with mediation (APIMeM), the findings indicated that positive communication was indirectly related to increased marital interaction and decreased marital instability. Wife and husband increased marital interaction was related to their own (individual) increased positive communication. Wife and husband increased positive communication was related to their own decreased marital instability and to their partner's decreased marital instability. These findings suggest that marital interaction and positive communication are important factors in promoting marital stability in newlywed remarriages. Implications for relationship educators and therapists are proposed.