Social Psychology Commons^™

Family Structure And Family Management Practices: Associations With Positive Aspects Of Youth Well-Being, Jonathon J. Beckmeyer, Luke T. Russell

Faculty Publications - Family and Consumer Sciences

Using data from a national sample of 15-year olds (N = 681) we tested if four family management practices (parental knowledge, behavioral control, parental academic involvement, and unsupervised time with peers) differed between family structures (i.e., biological-parent, stepfather, or single-mother family). We then identified the family management practices associated with positive youth well-being (psychosocial maturity, positive friendship networks, and school bonding) within each family structure. Parental knowledge, academic involvement, and behavioral control were greater in biological-parent than single-mother families. Stepfather families only differed from biological-parent and single-mother families on parental academic involvement. Although family management practices were associated with youth …