Family Composition and Union Dissolution among Families with Children in Sweden

Livia Olah, Stockholm University
Jani Turunen, Stockholm University

We seek to shed more light on the impact of family composition on the dissolution risk among families with children. We focus on Sweden given its strong emphasis on gender equality and generous family support system. We analyze data from the Young Adult Panel Study. Piecewise constant proportional hazards model is our tool of analysis. Our results reveal that stepfamilies have an elevated breakup risk compared to intact families but also to blended families. Stepmother families and where both partners have children from previous partnerships but no joint children have the highest breakup risks. Among non-intact families, those with both joint children and the woman’s children in the household are the least likely to break up. The results suggest that family compositions have a differential impact on family disruption, and it is important to distinguish by the gender of the stepparent as well as between step- and blended families.