Stepfamily Processes and Youth Adjustment: The Role of Perceived Neighborhood Collective Efficacy.

Using a representative sample from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and a recently developed stepfamily-process typology, this study explores three plausible functions of perceived neighborhood collective efficacy with respect to stepfamily life and youth adjustment: an ability to (1) prevent maladaptive patterns of stepfamily processes, (2) promote stepchildren's adjustment beyond the influence of stepfamily processes, and (3) protect stepchildren's adjustment when faced with maladaptive patterns of stepfamily processes. The results indicate that higher levels of perceived neighborhood collective efficacy are associated with more adaptive stepfamily processes and higher levels of youth self-esteem over time, net the influence of stepfamily processes.