Deconstructing the myth of the wicked stepparent

This article examines the myth of the wicked stepparent; a myth which conti nues to exist even though there is very little substance in it. For the mos t part, it appears that the myth of stepparental wickedness has its origins in baseless folklore and continues to be perpetuated in popular literature and contemporary Hollywood movies. It seems likely that such negative port rayals of stepparents would influence how members of society view them. Alt hough there are some bad stepparents in the real world, becoming a stepmoth er or stepfather does not inevitably bring out the worst in people. Now tha t stepfamilies are so common, it's time our society developed a more positi ve image of stepmothers and stepfathers.