Children and Society, 26(1), January 2012, pp.51-62.
Publisher:
Wiley
Children living in less fortunate economic circumstances can be expected to be less satisfied with life and the association between single parenthood and reduced life satisfaction may be partly due to economic hardship. This paper examines differences in life satisfaction among 184,496 children in different family structures in 36 western countries. Findings revealed that children living...
Children living in less fortunate economic circumstances can be expected to be less satisfied with life and the association between single parenthood and reduced life satisfaction may be partly due to economic hardship. This paper examines differences in life satisfaction among 184,496 children in different family structures in 36 western countries. Findings revealed that children living with both biological parents reported higher levels of life satisfaction than children living with a single parent or parent–step-parent. Children in joint physical custody reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction than their counterparts in other types of non-intact families. Difficulties in communicating with parents were strongly associated with less life satisfaction but did not mediate the relation between family structure and life satisfaction. Children in the Nordic countries characterised by strong welfare systems reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction in all living arrangements except in single father households. While such life events as divorce or single motherhood may be heavily stigmatised in some countries and certain segments within countries, they may well be relatively meaningless in other social contexts. This may be a major source of the considerable variation in life satisfaction among children in living with single mothers or step-parents in different countries.
Subject terms:
mental health, poverty, quality of life, children, families;
Content type:
research
Location(s):
Bulgaria, Canada, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Finland, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovenia, Turkey, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States
Comparative study based on papers delivered at an international conference focusing on the differing ways in which children who kill are dealt with by juvenile justice systems across Europe.
Comparative study based on papers delivered at an international conference focusing on the differing ways in which children who kill are dealt with by juvenile justice systems across Europe.