De relatie tussen het thuisgevoel van jongeren uit gescheiden gezinnen, de aanwezigheid van een inwonende stiefouder en de kwaliteit van de ouder-kind relatie

Abstract

In 2019, 34.000 divorces occurred in the Netherlands, after which 40% of the minor children involved, grew up with a stepparent. Adolescents who grow up in divorced families and stepfamilies appear to experience a lower sense of family belonging compared to those with intact families. The aim of this study is to examine whether living with a stepparent predicted adolescents’ perceptions of family belonging and the role of the quality of the parent-child relationship in this association. For this study, cross-sectional data were used from the first wave of the ongoing longitudinal study “Where Do I Belong?”. The sample consists of 188 adolescents from divorced families, aged 11 to 19. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to first examine if a live-in stepparent is a predictor for adolescents’ sense of family belonging. Next, if the quality of the parent-child relationship is a predictor. And finally, if there is an interaction effect. Analyses showed that for both parents' families, a live-in stepparent was a significant predictor, yet that the quality of the parent-child relationship seemed to be a more important predictor. The interaction effect was significant within the mother's family only. This research contributes to the knowledge of problems of divorced- and stepfamilies, which is required to improve expertise for better information and support for those families and to improve the overall well-being and development of children after parental divorce.