ADOLESCENTS FROM STEPFAMILIES, SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES AND (IN)STABLE INTACT FAMILIES IN THE NETHERLANDS

This article examines the effects on intimate relationships, relationa l attitudes, and well-being of growing up in: stepfamilies after divor ce, single-parent families, instable intact families, and stable intac t families. Data are used from the national panel study USAD (Utrecht Study of Adolescence Development), a study of developments as they occ ur in the life course of young people during the 1990s. Results are pr esented from 2,064 respondents between 15 and 25 years of age, about t heir well-being and their development in intimate relationships and th eir views on (marriage) relationships. On a number of topics their par ents are interviewed as well. From the analysis, it is clear that youn g people who lived in single-parent families and in stepfamilies signi ficantly differ from young people who lived in stable intact families. Young people from single-parent families are more likely to start the ir relational career sooner and reported more problems with intimate r elations than youngsters from stable intact families. Youngsters from stepfamilies have more modem views on relations than people from intac t families. Adolescents from instable intact families have moderate sc ores. Most of these effects remain when the results are adjusted for d ifferences in social class, family income and the parental views on fa mily life.