Diverse and Reshaped Family systems

Question 1

Siblings and Child development

Answer 1

• Siblings influence each other directly and indirectly
• Positive or negative
  New sibling
  Acting out on younger sibling
  Older siblings seens as attachment figures
• Siblings indirect influence on each other via parents

Question 2

Sibling Rivalry

Answer 2

• Starts in middle school
• Still rely on each other for support
• Sibling influence changes with age, their relaitonship can till be strong
  -Parents comparing simblings with each other

Question 3

Only Child Families

Answer 3

• High in self-esteem, achievement motivation, better school grades and higher educational level
• Closer relationship with their parents
• More pressure from parents
• Less accepted in peer groups
  Possibly due to lack of social interaction

Question 4

Adoptive families and Child Development - Research

Answer 4

• Learning and emotional difficulties than other children
• Pre-adoptive history
  Neglect, abuse, family conflict, lack of parental affection
• Long term well adjusted
  Positive and supporting adoptive parents
• Difficulties during adolescence

Question 5

Homosexual Parents Families

Answer 5

• Children are not different in mental health, peer relations or gender role behaviours
• Sometimes more committed as parents (something to prove?)
• Socia-cultural influences
  Bullied

Question 6

Never married Singel-Parent Families

Answer 6

• Young women
• Family support
• Financial issues
• Generally not a problem

Question 7

How does divorce affect family systems?

Answer 7

• Depends on alot of factors
  Previous relationships, conflict, child charactersistics
• Warm and effective parenting to hinder negative effects
• Often leads to new relationships, blended families

Question 8

What are the immediate consequences of divorce?

Answer 8

• Family conflics can increae
• Economical changes, one parent leave the household
• Threats against supportive interactions with the child
• Stress, depression
• Routines falter
• Children often blame themselves
  Scared of being abandoned
• Psychological struggles
• Older sibling takes on mature role
• Girls - internalize
• Boys - behavioral changes, adjumestment issues
  Possibly lack of emotional support

Question 9

What are the long-term consequences of divorce?

Answer 9

It depends, effective parenting is important!
- Often improves adjustment in 2 years
- Early sexual debut
- Slightly less in school, socially and emotionally

Question 10

Blended Families

Answer 10

• Divorce, new family strucutre
• Both positive and negative, depending on parenting and parent-child relationship quality
• More adjustment difficulties
  The older the child, less problems there will be

Mother - Stepfather
- Girls adjust worse
- Age matters + maternal relationship
- Lead to more friction

Father - Stepmother
- Noncustodial leads to less contact
- Start out with more problems
- Girls have harder time bonding - 2 maternal figures