Attitudes About Intimate Partner Violence and Alcohol Consumption.

This mixed methods study analyzed individual attitudes regarding how the gender of an aggressor, levels of aggression (i.e., slapping, punching, or threatening with a weapon), and alcohol consumption (i.e., one beer, three beers, or six beers) are associated with attitudes about (a) the use of violence in intimate partner violence (IPV) in a romantic relationship and (b) the influence of alcohol on the violent act. Individuals (n = 546) participated in an online survey using multiple segment factorial vignettes, which allowed participants to respond to the actions of characters in a hypothetical scenario rather than how they might have reacted in a similar scenario. Regarding the use of IPV, 512 believed the violent act should not have occurred. Logistic regressions revealed participants (a) were significantly less likely to say alcohol influenced a male in comparison to a female, (b) were significantly more likely to respond that the perpetrator's behavior was influenced by having drunk three or six beers compared with just one, and (c) were not significantly more or less likely to say the alcohol influenced the type of violence used. Analyses of qualitative responses (a) reinforced beliefs that violence (generally) and IPV (specifically) were not acceptable and (b) showed that beliefs about the influence of alcohol included attitudes regarding alcohol enhancing emotions and/or clouding judgment, perpetrators being in control regardless of alcohol intake, alcohol not being used as an excuse for violence, alcohol affecting people differently, and alcohol results in people showing their true selves. In addition, participants tended to downplay alcohol-related female-perpetrated aggressions. The results of this study help to better understand attitudes about IPV and the role that alcohol plays in violent relationships. Information derived from this study can be used in informational and intervention workshops which address IPV.

Attitudes About Forgiveness and Leaving a Relationship: The Context of Relationship Aggression.

The present study examines participant attitudes regarding whether a victim of IPV should forgive an offending partner and whether they should stay or leave a violent relationship. A total of 562 participants completed the study, which entailed responding to factorial vignettes online. Participants were primarily heterosexual, female, non-Latino, and White, with an average age of 21.75. Using logistic regressions, participants were significantly more likely to think the victim should forgive the perpetrator if the perpetrator was female and for less severe acts of aggression. Multinomial logistic regressions found that respondents were significantly less likely to state "yes" or "it depends," compared to "no," as to whether the victim should leave the relationship when the aggression was more severe and were more likely to say a male victim should stay in a violent relationship than a female victim. Qualitative analyses found three main themes regarding whether a victim should forgive: (1) context matters; (2) forgiveness is best … with caveats; and (3) questioning how often violence had occurred. With regard to whether a victim should leave an aggressive relationship, two main themes emerged: (1) situation matters … especially the relationship context and (2) questioning whether the violence had occurred before. This study provides insight into attitudes, by those external to a couple, regarding forgiveness and leaving a relationship after an instance of relationship aggression and has implications for both practitioners and policymakers. The constructed views about leaving a relationship may spill over into decisions regarding whether to implement policy surrounding IPV. Practitioners should also be cognizant of the varying definitions of forgiveness when working with clients who have experienced IPV as a practitioner's definition of forgiveness may not necessarily align with a client's definition.

Deconstructing Attitudes About Intimate Partner Violence and Bystander Intervention: The Roles of Perpetrator Gender and Severity of Aggression.

In this mixed methods study, we explored how gender of an aggressor and the levels of aggression (i.e., yelling, throwing a drink, slapping, and punching) influenced attitudes about (a) public displays of intimate partner violence (IPV) and (b) bystander intervention. A feminist-informed, social constructionist perspective guided the study. Participants (N = 562) responded online to randomly assigned factorial vignettes. Participants ranged in age between 18 and 70 years. The majority were female, self-identified as heterosexual, and identified as White. Logistic regressions revealed that participants significantly viewed aggression as unacceptable, especially in cases of more severe and male-perpetrated aggressions. Multinomial logistic regressions revealed that participants significantly thought bystanders or friends of the couple should intervene, especially in cases of male-perpetrated and/or more severe aggression. Analyses of qualitative responses indicated that participants viewed aggression as never okay, as poor communication, as justified if provoked, and discussed the gendered double standard of aggression (i.e., men should not be aggressive because they could cause more harm than females and female-perpetrated aggression is minor, in comparison). Regarding attitudes about bystander intervention, analyses of qualitative responses indicated that aggression severity, issues surrounding relationship privacy, factors relevant to the situation (e.g., if the event occurred once or repeatedly), perceptions that help was needed (e.g., if the victim was hurt), and the bystander's relationship with the victim (i.e., friend or not) were important to consider when thinking about the decision to intervene in public acts of violence. These findings have implications for bystander intervention programs and for how individuals view public acts of IPV.

Stepparents' Attachment Orientation, Parental Gatekeeping, and Stepparents' Affinity-Seeking with Stepchildren.

Remarried stepfamilies are a sizable portion of American families; in a 2011 Pew Center survey, 42% of respondents reported at least one stepfamily member. Family clinicians and researchers suggest that stepparents' ability to develop close bonds with stepchildren may be critical to the well-being of couple and family relationships. Using actor-partner interdependence models to analyze dyadic data from 291 heterosexual remarried stepfamily couples, we explored factors related to stepparents' efforts to befriend their stepchildren. Specifically, we evaluated how remarried parents' gatekeeping and stepparents' perceptions of their attachment orientations were associated with their own and their spouse's perceptions of stepparents' affinity-seeking behaviors. Securely attached stepparents and stepparents with anxious attachment orientations engaged more frequently in affinity behaviors than did stepparents with avoidant attachment orientations; there was no difference between securely attached and anxious stepparents. Stepparents' reports of parents' restrictive gatekeeping were strongly and negatively associated with both stepparents' and parents' reports of stepparent affinity-seeking (actor and partner effects). Parents' reports of their own restrictive gatekeeping were also negatively (but more weakly) associated with parents' reports of stepparent affinity-seeking. Implications for families, clinicians, and relationship researchers and theorists are discussed.

Las familias ensambladas con parejas que se vuelven a casar constituyen una parte considerable de las familias estadounidenses; en una encuesta del Pew de 2011, el 42% de los encuestados informaron tener por lo menos un familiar con familia ensamblada. Los especialistas en familia y los investigadores sugieren que la capacidad de los padrastros de desarrollar vínculos estrechos con los hijastros puede ser fundamental para el bienestar de las relaciones de pareja y familiares (Browning & Artlelt, 2012; Ganong, Coleman, Fine, & Martin, 1999). Mediante el uso de modelos de interdependencia actor-pareja para analizar los datos diádicos de 291 parejas heterosexuales de familias ensambladas con parejas que se volvieron a casar, analizamos los factores relacionados con los esfuerzos de los padrastros para hacerse amigos de sus hijastros. Específicamente, evaluamos cómo la vigilancia de los padres que volvieron a casarse y las percepciones de los padrastros de sus orientaciones de apego estuvieron asociados con sus propias percepciones y las de su cónyuge de las conductas de búsqueda de afinidad de los padrastros. Los padrastros con un vínculo de apego seguro y los padrastros con orientaciones de apego ansioso participaron con más frecuencia en conductas de afinidad que los padrastros con orientaciones de apego evasivo; no hubo diferencia entre los padrastros con vínculo de apego seguro y los de apego ansioso. Los informes de los padrastros de la vigilancia restrictiva de los padres estuvieron asociados estrechamente y negativamente con los informes de los padrastros y de los padres sobre la búsqueda de afinidad de los padrastros (efectos de la pareja y del actor). Los informes de los padres de su propia vigilancia restrictiva también estuvieron asociados negativamente (pero más levemente) con los informes de los padres sobre la búsqueda de afinidad de los padrastros. Se debaten las consecuencias para las familias, los médicos y los investigadores y teóricos de las relaciones.

Stepfathers' affinity-seeking with stepchildren, stepfather-stepchild relationship quality, marital quality, and stepfamily cohesion among stepfathers and mothers.

Because of the potential stepparent-stepchild relationships have for tension and conflict, clinicians have identified the development of a positive stepparent-stepchild connection as one of the major tasks of stepfamily life. Stepparents often are advised to focus initially on developing friendships with stepchildren, or seeking affinity with them, particularly early in the life of the relationship. Both family systems theory and evolutionary theory suggest that stepparents' affinity-seeking behaviors are related to the quality and functioning of other stepfamily dyads, such as couple relationships, and the whole stepfamily. We extend prior work on stepparents' affinity seeking by including perceptions of both members of the stepcouple about affinity seeking, stepfather-stepchild conflicts, couple relationship quality, and stepfamily cohesion. Stepfathers and mothers from 234 stepcouples independently completed online surveys. After accounting for covariates (i.e., duration of mothers' previous relationships, duration of the stepcouple relationship, focal child's biological sex and age, number of children in the household, and mothers' report of household income), stepfathers' perceptions of affinity-seeking with the focal child significantly predicted both partners' perceptions of stepfather-stepchild conflict, marital quality, marital confidence, and stepfamily cohesion. Mothers' perceptions of stepfathers' affinity-seeking were significantly related to her marital confidence and perceptions of stepfamily cohesion. Stepfathers' perceptions of their affinity-seeking explained more variance in stepfathers' and mothers' outcomes than did mothers' perceptions. The results suggest benefits associated with stepfather affinity-seeking-less conflict with stepchildren, better couple relationships, and closer stepfamily ties. Our findings provide evidence for encouraging stepparents to focus on building affinity with stepchildren. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

A comparison of stepgrandchildren's perceptions of long-term and later-life stepgrandparents.

BACKGROUND: Multi-generational steprelationships are relatively common, and yet little is known about stepgrandparent-stepgrandchild relationships. The quality of steprelationships is relevant to understanding intergenerational support for older divorced and remarried adults. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to examine and compare stepgrandchildren's perceptions of two types of intergenerational step-relationships - long-term stepgrandparents who joined the stepfamily before stepgrandchildren were born and later-life stepgrandparents who joined stepfamilies when they were older. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Grounded theory methods were used to interview 48 adult stepgrandchildren who had 44 long-term stepgrandparents and 28 later-life stepgrandparents. RESULTS: Long-term stepgrandparents more closely resembled biological grandparents' relationships with stepgrandchildren than did later-life stepgrandparents, largely because of conditions attributable to intergenerational dynamics associated with remarriage timing, shared histories, and linked lives with other kin. Middle-generation parents gatekept more in long-term stepfamilies - later-life stepgrandchildren had greater autonomy in relationships with new stepgrandparents and everyone in later-life stepfamilies experienced family structural changes concurrently. Long-term stepgrandparents were defined as kin more often than later-life stepgrandparents. Long-term relationships were often perceived as positive and emotionally close. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Later-life stepgrandchildren experience more intergenerational transitions than long-term stepgrandchildren. Appreciating and understanding the implications of different pathways to stepgrandparenthood will enhance science and practice with older stepfamily couples and intergenerational stepfamilies.

Relationships with former stepgrandparents after remarriage dissolution.

Increases in stepfamily formation and longevity suggest that more children have stepgrandparent relationships than ever before. Because remarriages end in divorce more often than first marriages, many children experience the involuntary dissolution of stepgrandparent ties. Little is known about stepgrandparent relationships in general, and even less is known about how these relationships are affected by remarriage dissolution. Guided by symbolic interaction theory, the purpose of this study was to understand how stepgrandchildren make sense of their relationships with former stepgrandparents. We explored their perceptions of why relationships were or were not maintained and the impact of continued or dissolved ties on their personal well-being. Former stepgrandchildren (N = 29) aged 18 to 37 were interviewed about their former stepgrandparents. The quality and continuity of these relationships were contingent on stepgrandchildren's relationships with former stepparents, biological parents' relationships with former stepgrandparents, and efforts by former stepgrandparents to remain involved. Losing ties with former stepgrandparents was upsetting, especially when relationships with biological grandparents were not close. Individuals who maintained relationships with former stepgrandparents benefitted from continued access to valuable resources (e.g., positive role models, additional sources of love and support). Our findings have important implications for clinicians' and researchers' understanding of the effects of remarriage dissolution on children as well as the intergenerational efforts that may be critical for preserving meaningful stepfamily ties. (PsycINFO Database Record

Studying Stepfamilies: Four Eras of Family Scholarship.

Historically, there have always been stepfamilies, but until the early 1970s, they remained largely unnoticed by social scientists. Research interest in stepfamilies followed shortly after divorce became the primary precursor to stepfamily formation. Because stepfamilies are structurally diverse and much more complex than nuclear families, they have created considerable challenges for both researchers and clinicians. This article examines four eras of stepfamily scholarship, tracing the development of research questions, study designs and methods, and conceptual frameworks from the mid-1970s to the present and drawing implications for the current state of the field.

Negotiating a Place in the Family-A Grounded Theory Exploration of Stepgrandmothers' Enactment of Roles.

Purpose: Stepgrandparents are becoming more common, and they can, and often do, provide affective and instrumental support to families. Little is known, however, about how they negotiate and enact their roles within families, especially with stepgrandchildren. Stepgrandmothers warrant special attention because researchers have found that women experience more challenges than men in stepfamilies. Guided by symbolic interactionism, the purposes of our study were: (a) to explore stepgrandmothers' role enactment and (b) to explore the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and contextual factors that contribute to role enactment in intergenerational steprelationships. Design and Methods: Eighteen stepgrandmothers participated in semi-structured interviews, discussing their relationships with 94 stepgrandchildren. Consistent with grounded theory methods, data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously. Results: Interviews with stepgrandmothers revealed that they spend considerable time and energy defining their roles with stepgrandchildren. Stepgrandmothers' role enactment is a complex, reflexive process. A few perceived that their roles were shaped by their own dispositions, desires, and expectations (evidence for role-making), but most stepgrandmothers described their roles as reflecting the dispositions, desires, and expectations of others (evidence for role-taking). Stepgrandmothers reflected on their roles as a delicate balance of intra- and inter-personal negotiations, operating within cultural expectations. Implications: Findings draw attention to the complex nature of role-taking, role-making, and gendered, relational processes in multigenerational stepfamilies. We discuss implications for research and theory related to stepgrandmotherhood as an incomplete institution.

Divorce and Childhood Chronic Illness: A Grounded Theory of Trust, Gender, and Third-Party Care Providers.

Divorced parents face distinct challenges in providing care for chronically ill children. Children's residence in two households necessitates the development of family-specific strategies to ensure coparents' supervision of regimen adherence and the management of children's health care. Utilizing a risk and resilience perspective, a grounded theory study was conducted with 14 divorced parents of children with chronic illnesses. The importance of trust, gender, and relationships with third-party care providers emerged as key themes related to the development of effective coparenting relationships for maintaining children's health. Divorced parents were best able to support the management of their children's chronic conditions when care providers operated as neutral third parties and intermediaries. Collaborative family care may require health care practitioners to avoid being drawn into contentious inter-parental conflicts.

Divorced mothers' coparental boundary maintenance after parents repartner.

When divorced parents remarry or cohabit with new partners, it is challenging to maintain functional postdivorce coparenting systems. In this grounded theory study of 19 divorced mothers, we examined the processes by which they maintained boundaries around coparental relationships after 1 or both coparents had repartnered. Mothers saw themselves as captains of the coparenting team, making decisions about who should play what roles in parenting their children. They viewed themselves as having primary responsibility for their children, and they saw their children's fathers as important coparenting partners. Mothers used a variety of strategies to preserve boundaries around the coparental subsystem when either they or their ex-husbands repartnered. Stepparents became more active participants in coparenting when: (a) mothers perceived them to be adequate caregivers, (b) biological parents were able to cooperatively coparent, (c) mothers perceived the fathers as good parents and responsible fathers, and (d) mothers felt secure as the primary parents. When all 4 conditions were present, mothers were likely to expand the coparental subsystem to include new partners. If any of these conditions were not present, mothers resisted including stepparents as part of the child rearing team. The findings from this study highlight how coparental roles in a nonclinical sample of families develop and change; mothers often modify coparenting boundaries over time to include stepparents.

An intervention to help older adults maintain independence safely.

Older adults who live alone are at risk for problems (e.g., falling, sudden illness). To maintain themselves safely at home they may benefit from planning to prevent problems. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an intervention designed to train family members or friends as to how to help older adults who were living alone make plans to maintain independence safely in their homes and to make behavioral and household changes to enhance safety. Support network members of 19 older adults randomly assigned to the intervention group were taught to use multiple segment vignettes to assist the older adults in creating plans for living safely. Older adults in the control group (n = 21) were asked to engage in an unstructured discussion about home safety with their network members. Older adults in the intervention group developed safer plans and made more household and behavioral changes than did control group adults.

Normative beliefs about sharing housing with an older family member.

The aims of this study were: (a) to examine general perceptions of filial obligations toward sharing housing with older parents and stepparents; and (b) to assess the effects of selected contextual factors on those normative beliefs. A national sample of 579 men and 582 women (mean age = 44.6, SD = 17.2) responded to a multiple segment factorial vignette in which an older parent or stepparent was portrayed as needing help with housing. Respondents thought that parents should be helped more than stepparents, younger adults with greater resources were more obligated to help older parents and stepparents than were those with meager resources, and older parents and stepparents with greater need acuity were expected to be helped more than older parents and stepparents with less serious housing needs. Attitudes about co-residence were based on family obligation norms, beliefs about repaying older adults for past help, perceived relationship quality, other demands on the younger adult's resources, the older person's resources, and moral responsibilities to assist.

Obligations to stepparents acquired in later life: relationship quality and acuity of needs.

OBJECTIVE: . The purpose of this study was to examine beliefs about responsibilities of an adult child to an older stepparent or parent who has remarried later in life. We also investigated the effects of relationship quality and acuity of needs on perceived responsibilities to parents and stepparents. METHODS: We obtained a sample of 487 men and 571 women from across the United States by using a multistage probability sampling design that used random-digit dialing of telephone numbers. We presented respondents with a multiple-segment vignette in which the type of relationship between the adults (i.e., parent-child or stepparent-stepchild), the relationship quality, and the acuity of the older person's need were randomly varied. Respondents indicated how much help the younger adult should give the older person and how obligated the younger adult was to help the older person. In addition, we asked respondents open-ended questions about the rationale for their judgments about intergenerational helping. RESULTS: Perceived responsibilities to parents were greater than responsibilities to stepparents. Relationship quality and acuity of need were also related to obligation beliefs. DISCUSSION: Stepparents acquired later in life generally are not seen as family members, and thus norms of family obligations do not apply to them.