title: Parental bond and life course transitions from adolescence to young adulthood.
abstract: In this study the effects of life course transitions in adolescence and young adulthood (leaving the parental home, living together with a partner,entering parenthood, and becoming financially independent) on the parent-child bond are investigated. Data are presented from a three-wave study of 1,064 adolescents and young adults (aged 12-24 years at Wave 1) over a six-year period. As the youth in this study proceeded through the life course, they tended to report a closer parental bond. However, this age-related effect was counterbalanced by a tendency toward a weakened bond with parents following departure from the parental home. Results are in line with individuation theory, which contends that parent-child relationships become less close as a result of transitions leading to more autonomy.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. f.bucx@uu.nl
authors.forename: Freek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bucx
authors.forename: Frits
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van Wel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires