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Family Structure and Child Behavior Problems in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States

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  • Nina A. Stoddard-Bennett

    (Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, 2008 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Jordan Coburn

    (Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, 2008 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Mikaela J. Dufur

    (Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, 2008 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Jonathan A. Jarvis

    (Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, 2008 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602, USA)

  • Shana L. Pribesh

    (Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA)

Abstract

A large body of literature suggests that children living with two married, biological parents on average have fewer behavior problems than those who do not. What is less clear is why this occurs. Competing theories suggest that resource deficiencies and parental selectivity play a part. We suggest that examining different contexts can help adjudicate among different theoretical explanations as to how family structure relates to child behavior problems. In this paper, we use data from the Growing Up in Australia: Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), and the US Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K) to examine the relationship between family structure and child behavior problems. Specifically, we look at how living in several configurations of biological and social parents may relate to child behavior problems. Findings suggest both similarities and differences across the three settings, with explanations in the UK results favoring selectivity theories, US patterns suggesting that there is a unique quality to family structure that can explain outcomes, and the Australian results favoring resource theories.

Suggested Citation

  • Nina A. Stoddard-Bennett & Jordan Coburn & Mikaela J. Dufur & Jonathan A. Jarvis & Shana L. Pribesh, 2023. "Family Structure and Child Behavior Problems in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-24, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:3:p:1780-:d:1040109
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Frank F. Furstenberg, 2014. "Fifty Years of Family Change," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 654(1), pages 12-30, July.
    2. Rachel Connelly & Jean Kimmel, 2003. "The Effect of Child Care Costs on the Employment and Welfare Recipiency of Single Mothers," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 69(3), pages 498-519, January.
    3. Blum, R.W. & Beuhring, T. & Shew, M.L. & Bearinger, L.H. & Sieving, R.E. & Resnick, M.D., 2000. "The effects of race/ethnicity, income, and family structure on adolescent risk behaviors," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 90(12), pages 1879-1884.
    4. Natasha Pilkauskas & Melissa Martinson, 2014. "Three-generation family households in early childhood: Comparisons between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 30(60), pages 1639-1652.
    5. Rachel Connelly & Jean Kimmel, 2003. "The Effect of Child Care Costs on the Employment and Welfare Recipiency of Single Mothers," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 69(3), pages 498-519, January.
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