Stepfamilies and Blended Families

Stepfamilies or blended families are on the rise throughout the world owing to high divorce rates, cohabitation, and children born outside of marriage. Many adults and children experience multiple divorces and remarriages during their lifetimes because the divorce rate for subsequent remarriages increases with each successive divorce. Prior to the divorce revolution of the 1960s, most remarriages were formed after the death of a spouse. This is no longer the case.

Stepfamilies are formed when one or both adult partners have been previously married and have one or more children from the prior relationship(s) or marriage(s). The causes for the stepfamily may be because of a divorce or death of one or both spouses. Marriages in stepfamilies are strongly influenced by the presence of children. This ...