Les relations interpersonnelles au sein de la famille recomposée : un état de la littérature

Abstract

Stepfamilies are common nowadays. This article reviews studies on the quality of the various interpersonal relationships in stepfamilies: the stepparent–stepchild relationship, the parent–child relationship, the marital and coparenting relationships, and overall family functioning. We discuss the studies’ findings on how these relationships are linked and how they affect children's internalized and externalized difficulties. Finally, on the basis of this empirical review, we propose some directions for future work for professionals working with stepfamilies that could improve understanding of the relationship issues specific to stepfamilies.