Two-parent Families Research Articles

The Impact of Cultural Values on the Association Between Family Relations and Children’s Life Satisfaction. A Comparison of Children in Two-Parent Families Across 39 Countries

Despite increasing interest in country differences and the identification of macro-societal circumstances that shape children’s well-being, cross-national comparisons of children’s subjective well-being are still rare. This study investigates the effect of family relations on children’s life satisfaction in 39 countries from multiple world regions, with the aims of unveiling differences in average life satisfaction, comparing the effect of family relations on life satisfaction and testing the moderating effect of cultural values, emphasizing differences between collectivist and individualistic countries. Single-country regressions and multilevel modelling are used to analyse data from 129,018 children from two-parent families who participated in the first, second or third wave of the International Survey of Children’s Lives and Well-Being. The results reveal that average life satisfaction is slightly higher in individualistic societies, but that the association between the Individualism Index and life satisfaction is not linear. Good family relations are shown to improve life satisfaction in all countries, but the effect strength differs considerably. The life satisfaction of children from individualistic countries, compared to that of children from collectivist countries, suffers considerably more from the experience of bad family relations. These findings highlight the necessity of considering children’s cultural environment when examining their life satisfaction.

The mediating effects of school bullying victimization in the relationship between childhood trauma and NSSI among adolescents with mood disorders

BackgroundNonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious problem in the adolescent population worldwide. Childhood trauma and bullying have been identified as risk factors for NSSI. We explored the relationships among Childhood trauma, Bullying victimization and the severity of NSSI behaviours, and test the effect of Bullying victimization in mediating the association between Childhood trauma and the NSSI behaviours.MethodsA total of 123 adolescents were recruited. They were diagnosed with depression or depressive episodes of bipolar disorder and had experienced NSSI in the last year. They were assessed using the Chinese version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-C), the Revised Olweus Bullying Victimization Questionnaire (OBVQ-R), and the Adolescent Self-Harm Questionnaire (ASHQ).ResultsFemales presented a significantly greater prevalence of sexual abuse and relationship bullying than boys. Individuals in the younger age group (10–14 years) presented a greater incidence of emotional neglect, verbal bullying, relationship bullying, and total bullying, and their NSSI score was also higher than that of those in the older age group (15–19 years). Only children show a greater prevalence of sexual abuse than nononly children. Single-parent families scored higher on emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect and physical bullying than two-parent families. There was a significant positive correlation between each dimension of childhood trauma and all the dimensions of bullying, between childhood trauma and NSSI, and between bullying and NSSI. Childhood trauma can not only directly affect the severity of NSSI but also indirectly aggravate the severity of NSSI through bullying victimization. The mediating effects of bullying victimization on emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect and physical neglect were 14%, 21%, 20%, 13% and 20%, respectively.ConclusionThere was a significant positive correlation between childhood trauma and bullying, between childhood trauma and NSSI, and between bullying and NSSI. Childhood trauma can not only directly affect the severity of NSSI but also indirectly aggravate the severity of NSSI through bullying victimization. Bullying victimization played the partial mediating effects between Childhood trauma and NSSI.

Association between childhood family structure and health-related quality of life at middle age: A longitudinal study of Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966.

This longitudinal study evaluated the association between childhood family structure and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) at middle age. The data on childhood family structure at the age of 14 years ('two-parent family', 'one parent not living at home/no information on father' and 'father or mother deceased') and HRQoL (measured by 15D (15-dimensional)) at the age of 46 were collected from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 using postal questionnaires. We used the binary logistic regression model to estimate the associations between childhood family structures and the lowest 15D quartile (reference: all other quartiles). The associations were adjusted for offspring mothers' factors during pregnancy (mothers' educational and occupational status). Of the 6375 participants, the offspring belonging to the 'one parent not living at home/no information on father' family structure subgroup had higher odds ratio of belonging to the lowest 15D quartile than the offspring of 'two-parent families' (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31-2.36, p<0.001 for females; adjusted OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.28-2.70, p=0.001 for males). There were no statistically significant associations between the 'father or mother deceased' subgroup and the lowest 15D quartile among the offspring. A single-parent family origin (due to reasons other than parental death) in childhood was significantly associated with impaired HRQoL at middle age. These results provide new perspectives for understanding the long-standing associations on living in a single-parent family.

Family structure and policy contexts: implications for tertiary education attainment in 25 European countries

Abstract This study examines how institutional contexts in 25 European countries moderate the association between family structure and tertiary education attainment. Previous research has proposed the resource deprivation perspective to explain lower educational outcomes among children from disrupted families, suggesting that policies addressing resource deprivation could mitigate these negative consequences. However, limited attention has been given to the role of policy contexts in shaping the educational outcomes of youth from disrupted families. This study focuses on two types of policies: the generosity of social benefits to single parents and financial support for students in tertiary education. Using data from the EU-SILC and employing multilevel regression models, the findings indicate that generous financial support for students reduces the tertiary education attainment gap between youth from separated and two-parent families. However, this effect is observed only among low-socioeconomic status (SES) and moderate-SES families. In contrast, the generosity of social benefits does not appear to moderate the association between family structure and tertiary education attainment, even when examining low-SES families or specifically considering benefits for low-earning single parents. Furthermore, the influence of these analysed policies is limited among young people from widowed families.

Perspectives on sperm donor anonymity: insights from donor-conceived adults in Belgium.

Are donor-conceived adults in Belgium interested in obtaining donor information, and do these interests vary based on their family backgrounds? Donor-conceived adults express a significant interest in obtaining donor-related information, with the highest interest reported by offspring from heterosexual couples compared to those from lesbian couple-parented or single-parent families. In Belgium, sperm donation is mainly anonymous, but the rise of direct-to-consumer genetic testing challenges this anonymity. This was a cross-sectional study involving an online nationwide survey conducted from July 2022 to October 2023. Participants, aged 18years and older and being aware of their anonymous sperm donor-conceived status, were recruited through various channels. A total of 203 participants were included: 62.6% grew up in heterosexual families with infertile fathers, 26.1% with lesbian couples, 8.4% with single parents, and 3.0% in various or diverse family structures. The survey was available in both French and Dutch and consisted of 43 questions, including a mix of yes/no questions and multiple-choice items. The average age of disclosure was 16.5 years, with notably later disclosure in heterosexual couple-parented households. A substantial 82.8% of donor-conceived individuals expressed a keen interest in obtaining non-personally identifiable donor information, while 69% were curious about personally identifiable donor data. Furthermore, 61.6% conveyed a desire for personal contact with their donors, and 26.6% advocated for the inclusion of the donor's name on their birth certificates. Participants raised in lesbian two-parent families exhibited the lowest level of interest in donor-related information compared with those raised in other family structures. An overwhelming 90.1% wondered about the possibility of having half-siblings from the same sperm donor. Analysis of survey responses on DNA database registration revealed that 55.2% of donor-conceived offspring were already registered, with 68.8% discovering the same donor offspring and 30.4% successfully locating their donors. Compared to individuals from other family structures, those raised in heterosexual couple-parented households exhibit a less positive attitude toward their conception through anonymous sperm donation. About 61.6% of donor-conceived individuals reported experiencing distinct emotions compared to their peers, while 44.1% encountered psychological difficulties related to anonymous sperm donation, primarily attributed to late disclosure. The majority supported the idea of informing the donor about the number of children he facilitated to conceive. Lastly, the study highlighted that 21.2% of donor-conceived adults considered becoming donors themselves, and 31.3% expressed willingness to use an anonymous donor whenever faced with fertility challenges. Our sample size may not fully represent all adults conceived through anonymous sperm donation in Belgium. Participation bias may have influenced the results, especially due to the overrepresentation of participants from heterosexual couples. Additionally, an association exists between individuals raised by heterosexual couples and late disclosure, complicating the analysis by introducing a confounding factor. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the needs and preferences of donor-conceived adults, with significant potential impact on patient education and healthcare policy. Study funding was not obtained for this research. There are no conflicts of interest to disclose. N/A.

A Comparison of Children’s Social Behaviors in Single Mother and Two Parent Families in Japan

The present study examined the differences between young children from single-mother families and those from two-parent families based on their prosocial behaviors and behavior problems. Mothers’ affectionate parenting was also compared. We collected data using a Japanese online survey company. A total of 335 women who had a 3 to 5-year-old child participated; 51.2% of which were single mothers. The mothers rated their child’s behavior problems and prosocial behavior and answered a questionnaire on affectionate parenting. The results indicated a significant interaction effect of family structure and child’s gender on children’s behavior problems. The scores of girls were significantly higher than those of the boys in single-mother families, whereas no such gender difference was found in two-parent families. Concerning the scores of children’s prosocial behaviors and the mothers’ affectionate physical contact, however, there was no difference between single-mother and two-parent households. Limitations of using internet surveys were discussed.

Association between childhood family structure and longitudinal health behaviour changes in adulthood –Northern Finland birth cohort 1966 study

BackgroundChildhood family structure is considered to play a role in person’s health and welfare. This study investigated the relationships between the longitudinal changes of adult health behaviours and childhood family structure.MethodsFrom Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 questionnaires, we collected data on childhood family structure at the age of 14 (‘two-parent family’, ‘one parent not living at home/no information on father’, and ‘father or mother deceased’), and on health behaviours (smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity status) at the ages of 31 and 46. We used the multinomial logistic regression model to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted associations between childhood family structures and the longitudinal changes between 31 and 46 years of health behaviours (four-category variables).ResultsOf the study sample (n = 5431; 55.5% females), 7.1% of the offspring were represented in the ‘One parent not living at home/no information on father’ subgroup, 6.3% in the ‘Father or mother deceased’ subgroup and 86.6% in the ‘Two-parent family’. ‘One parent not living at home/no information on father’ offspring were approximately twice as likely to smoke (adjusted OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.70–2.81) and heavily consume alcohol (adjusted OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.25–3.16) at both times in adulthood, relative to not smoking or not heavily consume alcohol, and compared with ‘two-parent family’ offspring. We found no statistically significant associations between childhood family structure and physical activity status changes in adulthood.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that the offspring of single-parent families in particular should be supported in early life to diminish their risk of unhealthy behaviours in adulthood.

Parental prenatal representations of the child are related to 18-month-old children’s social-emotional competence

ABSTRACT Parental representations of the child are linked to positive developmental outcomes in children, but the impact of prenatal representations on early social-emotional development, particularly from fathers, is less understood. This study explores how fathers’ and mothers’ prenatal representations within two-parent families are associated with early social-emotional development. Prenatal representations of fathers (n = 88) and mothers (n = 92) were assessed between 28 and 32 weeks of gestation using the Working Model of the Child Interview, categorizing them as balanced or nonbalanced. The children’s (n = 97; 49.5% girls) social-emotional and behavioral problems and competencies were measured at 18 months using the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment. Balanced prenatal representations of both parents were related to higher social-emotional competence in toddlers. However, prenatal representations were not related to social-emotional and behavioral problems. The results highlight the benefits of balanced prenatal representations in promoting early social-emotional competence in children.

Gender-Typical Appearance in Early Childhood: Role of Parental Gender-Typical Appearance and Children’s Gender Similarity

The emergence of gender-typical appearance in childhood appears to have important implications not only for child and adolescent social-emotional functioning but also for later working life. In the current study, we examined how parents’ gender-typical appearance and children’s gender similarity (to same- and other-gender peers) were related to young children’s gender-typical appearance. We also explored differences in these associations between boys, girls, mothers, and fathers. Home visits were conducted with 74 Dutch two-parent (mother, father) families with both a son and daughter between the ages 3–6 years (96.6% White, 2.0% Asian, 1.4% other ethnicity). The gender-typical appearance of all four family members was assessed by trained and reliable coders in the videotaped observations from the home visits. As a measure of children’s gender similarity, both parents reported on the similarity of their son and daughter to same-gender and other-gender peers. Generalized estimating equations showed that more gender-typical appearance of parents was associated with more gender-typical appearance of girls, but not of boys. No differences were found between mothers and fathers for the association between parent and child appearance. Moreover, children’s gender similarity, evident in parents’ perceived similarity of their child to peers of the same gender and dissimilarity to peers of the other gender, was associated with more gender-typical appearance in children. To conclude, both children’s gender similarity and parents’ gender-typical appearance appear to play a role in the gender-typical appearance of young children.

Father Involvement in Parenting Questionnaire Development and Rating for Middle School Students

Family education has always been an important factor in influencing achievement, and in recent years the involvement of fathers in parenting has become the focus of family education. Junior high school students are in adolescence, the physical and mental development is not yet mature, parents’ education plays a key role in the process of students’ growth, and has a far-reaching impact on the healthy development of children’s physical and mental health. The purpose of this paper is to develop and measure a questionnaire on fathers’ involvement in parenting, using the questionnaire method, self-administered questionnaire, selected four dimensions of father image, academic support, emotional communication and disciplinary behavior to develop the questionnaire. The questionnaire was found to be of good quality after item analysis, exploratory analysis and validation analysis. Tests were conducted using SPSS 22.0 and Amos 22.0. The results showed that (1) the effect of father’s involvement in parenting on male students is more significant, senior junior high school students will be more influenced by their father’s parenting, junior high school students from two-parent families are more effective in being influenced by their father’s involvement in parenting, and only children are more profoundly affected by the influence of parenting that comes directly from their fathers. (2) There is no significant difference between urban and rural students affected by father involvement in parenting. (3) Among the factors affecting students, disciplinary behaviors have the greatest impact on junior high school students.

Childhood Trajectories of Paternal and Maternal Psychological Distress and Decision-making in Early Adolescence

Decision-making is important for adolescent wellbeing, and predictive of several other outcomes. While past research demonstrates the role of maternal psychological distress in adolescent decision-making, the role of paternal psychological distress remains relatively unexplored. This study examined the association between trajectories of paternal and maternal psychological distress, jointly modelled, in childhood and child decision-making in early adolescence. Using data from 9846 families of the Millennium Cohort Study, we identified paternal and maternal psychological distress trajectories across child ages 3–11 using joint group-based trajectory modelling and explored their associations with offspring decision-making at age 11 with multiple linear regression models. Paternal and maternal psychological distress was measured with the Kessler-6 scale, while adolescent decision-making was assessed using the Cambridge Gambling Task. We identified 2 trajectories for fathers (‘low distress’ and ‘moderate-increasing distress’) and 4 for mothers (‘minimal distress’, ‘low distress’, ‘moderate-increasing distress’ and ‘severe distress’). When jointly modelled, paternal and maternal trajectories predicted decision-making in fully adjusted models. Compared to the ‘low distress’ paternal trajectory, the ‘moderate-increasing distress’ paternal trajectory was associated with less delay aversion, although this effect disappeared when examining only two-parent biological families. Compared to the ‘minimal distress’ maternal trajectory, the ‘moderate-increasing distress’ trajectory predicted slower deliberation time, whereas the ‘severe distress’ trajectory predicted greater risk-taking. There were no gender differences in these paths. Consistently moderate and high levels of maternal distress during childhood are associated with increased decision latency and greater risk-taking, respectively, in early adolescence.

Utjecaj obiteljskog stanja na pojavljivanje anksioznosti kod djece i adolescenata

The prime aim of the research was to establish whether children and adolescentsfrom foster families and children and adolescents from single-parent families suffermore from anxiety than the respondents from two-parent families. The sampleincluded 124 respondents, 42 respondents from foster families, 38 children andadolescents from single-parent families and 44 from two-parent families. The resultsindicate that there are differences in the manifestation of anxiety when it comes torespondents from single-parent families and foster families compared to children andadolescents from two-parent families. There are statistically significant differences inthe levels of expression of anxiety among children who live in foster families comparedto children who live with their two-parents and one parent families. Children fromtwo-parent families show less anxiety compared to children from single-parent andfoster families. The conclusion would be that society should provide support to theproblem of anxiety in children and adolescents, as well as the most common mentalproblems in the health, social and educational contexts. The support would refer bothto the prevention of anxiety and to an adequate multidimensional approach in whichspecialists from different fields, trained educators and parents or guardians of childrenwould be involved

School absence of adolescents from single-parent families in Andalusia (Spain): exploring the mediating and moderating role of economic and social resources

This study examines the relationship between growing up in single-parent families and school absence in Andalusia (Spain), considering differences according to adolescents’ social background. Empirical analyses of data from the Social Survey 2010: Education and Housing show that adolescents growing up in single-parent families have, on average, a higher number of school absences than their peers in two-parent families. These disadvantages are greater for adolescents with low social backgrounds, regardless of whether this is measured by parental education or housing tenure. Both economic resources (lower household income) and social resources (poor relationship with absent parent) partially explain the differences in school absence rates amongst adolescents growing up in single-parent families. School environment (teacher–student relationship, atmosphere amongst students, experiences of school violence or ownership of educational institution) are not influential in explaining educational disadvantage amongst adolescents from different family structures, although they are strong predictors of school absence.

Coparenting as a family-level construct: Parent and child inputs across the first two years.

This study examined the effects of infant negative affectivity (NA) and maternal and paternal depressive symptoms on fathers' and mothers' perceptions of coparenting across the first 2 years following an infant's birth. A total of 147 two-parent families (most couples were White, married, and living together) with healthy, full-term infants were recruited. At each time point, fathers and mothers separately reported their coparenting perceptions via the Coparenting Relationship Scale and their depressive symptoms using the depression subscale of Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. Mothers also reported their children's NA via the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised at 3 to 12 months and the Early Child Behavior Questionnaire at 18 and 24 months. Findings from growth curve models in an actor-partner interdependence model framework suggested that among parents with higher depression, there were steeper declines in coparenting quality reported by parents and their spouses across 3-24 months. In addition, three separate two-way interactions between variables including higher-than-usual parental and spousal depression, as well as higher-than-usual infant NA predicted poorer-than-usual coparenting experiences. Findings indicate that coparenting is a dynamically unfolding construct that is impacted by ongoing changes in the parents' social-ecological niche and suggest the need to consider both parent and child characteristics, and to include spousal influences, to get a comprehensive, whole-family understanding of levels and changes in coparenting relationships. The findings also confirm that coparenting dynamics may benefit from interventions engaging both couples and addressing multiple risk factors from both parents (e.g., depression) and children (e.g., NA).

Идеи П.Ф. Лесгафта о физическом воспитании ребенка и их актуальность в современной семье

This article presents the results of a study devoted to studying the relevance of Peter Lesgaft’s ideas about physical education in a modern family. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that new technologies are currently being developed that create a risk of a sedentary lifestyle, especially in children. Therefore, the need for physical education in the family is of particular importance in modern society. The main provisions of the teachings of Peter Lesgaft, which have not lost their relevance today, can become a serious help in resolving this issue. The purpose of the study is to determine the conformity of the characteristics of a child’s physical education in a modern family with the ideas of Peter Lesgaft. The study was conducted using a questionnaire. The sample population of the study consisted of 96 people aged from 18 to 67 years, of which 88 were two-parent families and 8 were single-parent. The article presents the results of a survey of parents on the issues of physical education of their children, and interprets the results obtained through the prism of the teachings of Peter Lesgaft on this issue. The article concludes with generalized conclusions. It has been established that, in general, the ideas of Peter Lesgaft are relevant for the modern family, but at the same time they are not fully implemented: parents are aware of the importance of physical education classes with children to ensure their comprehensive development, more than half of families pay attention to physical exercises in the practice of raising children, there has been a tendency to increase the number of modern parents, compared with the previous generation, who are involved in physical education of the younger generation. At the same time, many families do not attach due importance to walks in the fresh air, playing outdoor games, and the need for daily physical education.

Diverse Early-Life Family Trajectories and Young Children’s Mental Health in the UK

Past research suggests that children from two-parent married families fare better than children from other families on many outcomes. Only fragmented evidence on diverse family trajectories in association with child mental health is available. Using multi-channel sequence analysis and data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, we jointly capture maternal partnership trajectories and type of father co-residence between birth and age 5. We then assess the association between these family trajectories and child mental health at age 5 and 8 using random effects regression. Children whose trajectories include the entrance of a non-biological father or parental separation have the lowest levels of mental health. However, children of never partnered mothers and those who repartner with the biological father have comparable mental health to children of stably married biological parents. Thus, not all types of family complexity or instability appear to be equally detrimental to children’s mental health.

The relationship between attachment and anxiety. Comparative study between teenagers with disabilities coming from paternal versus maternal single-parent families

Starting from the hypothesis that the formation of a different type of attachment than the secure one can generate anxiety - a disturbing phenomenon of social adaptation, manifested by excessive fear - the present study aimed to investigate this aspect in the context of adolescents with multiple disabilities. This thematic choice constituted the motivational foundation of the research. The main purpose of the study was to examine, within the selected sample, if there are significant differences in the development of disabled adolescents, depending on their origin from a single-parent family environment, either maternal or paternal. More specifically, the research looked at the relationship between anxiety level and attachment style in adolescents with multiple disabilities in the sample. The study sample was set at 50 subjects, aged between 15 and 18 years. After analyzing the data and establishing a standard, a non-random sampling method with quotas was chosen. The criteria for inclusion in the population were: female and male adolescents, aged between 15 and 18 years, coming from single-parent or nuclear (two-parent) families, the presence of multiple disabilities, with the exception of severe intellectual disability or other conditions that could limit the understanding of the questionnaire items, balancing the number of female and male participants, as well as those from single-parent and two-parent families. The research methodology included the use of interviews and questionnaires. To identify the attachment style, the Attachment Style Questionnaire (C.S.A.), developed by Collins and Read in 1990, was used. To measure the level of anxiety, two anxiety questionnaires were combined, adapting their wording to be accessible to participants with impairments associated with mild or moderate intellectual disability. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to examine the relationship between attachment style and anxiety among adolescents with multiple disabilities, with a particular focus on identifying significant differences between these variables.

ОСОБЕННОСТИ АГРЕССИИ ОБУЧАЮЩИХСЯ МЛАДШЕГО ШКОЛЬНОГО ВОЗРАСТА ИЗ СЕМЕЙ РАЗНОГО ТИПА

The article shows the importance of psychological and pedagogical activities for suppression of aggression in elementary school children based on the obtained diagnostic data and taking into account family features. The purpose of the article is a comparative analysis of aggression manifestation in elementary school children from one- and two-parent families. The results of the summative assessment are described. The assessment made it possible to identify the types (verbal, physical, instrumental, altruistic, selfaggression) and levels (high, medium, low) of aggression intrinsic to the children. It has been proven that aggression is more common in children from one-parent families. Boys from one-parent families are more aggressive than boys from two-parent families. There are minor differences in aggression of girls from oneand two-parent families. The need of psychological coaching for children and their families through the implementation of special education programs and arrangement of family clubs has been demonstrated.

Different experiences of children living in two-parent and single-parent families: Comparing generations born in the 1950s-1980s in Russia and in France

This paper examines the life-time measures and trends of children’s experiences in single-parent and two-parent families in Russia and France, within the context of generations. The study was conducted using two panel waves of GGS-Russia (2004, 2007) and GGS-France (2005, 2008). The results indicate that despite the Second Demographic Transition starting later in Russia than in France, and with approximately equal proportions of children born to single mothers, Russian children born in intact families are more likely to live in single-parent families later in life than French children. However, children born outside of a union in Russia have an advantage over French children in terms of their experiences and time spent living in two-parent families. The study of intergenerational dynamics reveals an obvious trend in Russia of an increase, from generation to generation, in the time such children spend living in two-parent families, while the same indicator in France has remained practically stable.

Family issues and custodial mothers' quest for justice: Evidence from Colombia.

Access to justice is limited for many worldwide. Although prior research generally recognizes the legal needs and barriers faced by women, less is known about mothers. This study examined the legal needs of mothers in different family configurations and the actions they took in response to these needs through the lens of help-seeking theories. We used unique data from the 2016 Colombian Quality of Life Survey (QLS) to produce descriptive statistics on the legal needs of mothers in two-parent families and custodial mothers. We then conducted multivariate analyses to examine the factors associated with having a family issue and seeking institutional help. Custodial mothers were more likely than mothers in two-parent families to have reported any legal need, and to report a family legal issue. The most frequent legal issues related to the family were issues with child support, custody, and/or visitation. The most frequent action taken to resolve issues was through an institutional actor. Among custodial mothers, single, younger mothers and mothers with more children were more likely to experience family legal issues, but they were not the ones seeking institutional help-those mothers were often more socioeconomically advantaged. That more socioeconomically disadvantaged mothers are more likely to experience a family legal issue but less likely to seek institutional help, the most frequent route to action, calls for research that examines the barriers faced by these mothers and policies to improve their access to justice.