Children's contact with absent parents
1988
Seltzer, J.A. | Bianchi, S.M.
This study investigates the frequency of contact between children and biological parents who are separated. Using data from a 1981 national survey, the research describes the effects of living arrangements and other family characteristics on cross-household ties between children and parents. The study treats frequent contact as an indication of intense parent-child involvement and investigates whether or not the characteristics associated with maintaining frequent contact differ from those associated with maintaining minimal contact. The findings indicate that frequent contact occurs for two groups of children: those who have recently lived with their absent parent and those who do not live with substitute caretakers (stepparents). A wider variety of sociodemographic characteristics predict whether or not minimal contact occurs. The data show few racial and ethnic group differences in patterns of parent-child contact. These results are interpreted as evidence that U.S. children establish sequential relationships with their adult caretakers and that they are unlikely to maintain ties with more than two parents or substitute parents at any time.
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