Stepfamilies and Resilience: Final Report

This report describes a study of stepfamilies in which the perspectives on relationships and wellbeing in stepfamilies were obtained from children, parents, stepparents, non-resident parents and teachers. The main aim was to examine and understand the impact of the quality of relationships on factors representing resilience in these families.

It is concluded that the affective quality of relationships in stepfamilies is an important correlate of positive family and child functioning. In particular, attention needs to be paid to the child-stepparent relationship in fostering resilience in stepfamilies. It was also found that the perspectives of children are central to assessing wellbeing at the family and individual level.

Produced by: Centre for Social Research and Evaluation - Ministry of Social Development