Mothers, Fathers, and the Link between Adolescent Family Experiences and the Transition to Adulthood

Ann Meier, University of Minnesota
Kelly Musick, University of Southern California
Larry Bumpass, University of Wisconsin at Madison

Using new data from the National Survey of Families and Households, we examine the influence of family life on children’s academic achievement, substance use, and early family formation and dissolution. We focus on the role of mothers’ and fathers’ parenting and relationships with children to assess the link between family structure and parental conflict in adolescence and subsequent transitions to adulthood. We investigate the independent influences of mothers and fathers, as well as inconsistencies in parenting. Our preliminary analysis indicates that adolescents who are exposed to conflict experience weaker relationships with parents and more harsh discipline. We investigate contrasts between behaviors and bonds of mothers and fathers and the conditioning effect of conflict on parents’ influence over children. While past work shows the importance of families, identifying the ways in which adolescent experiences in families are linked to young adult outcomes provides insight into how family influences extend into adulthood.