Adolescents' belonging in post-divorce families: Examining residential and digital contact with mothers and fathers

Abstract

Using data of 166 adolescents from divorced families, this study examined longitudinal associations between the quantity and quality of adolescents’ residential contact and digital contact with parents, and their sense of family belonging. Cross-lagged panel models showed concurrent associations among adolescents’ residential and digital contact with each parent, yet positively for fathers and negatively for mothers. Some cross-lagged paths revealed that higher-quality interactions may contribute to positive changes in contact. Although there were effects of parent-adolescent contact on family belongingness, over time belongingness was mostly predicted by the general quality of contact. The results suggest that post-divorce relationships require frequent and meaningful time together, the effects of which, however, do hardly transfer over time in terms of adolescents’ belongingness.