ABSTRACT
When considering how parents and children communicate with parties outside the home, communication with stepparents has become part of the process for many children. In half of new marriages, at least one partner has been married previously (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000). Sixty-fi ve percent of these households contain children from a prior relationship, making them a stepfamily (Marano, 2000). Current estimates suggest that one third of children will live with a stepparent before they turn 18; however, this fi gure does not include children who may interact with stepparents while visiting a noncustodial parent (Visher, Visher, & Pasley, 2003). Even though many stepparents act as parental fi gures to their stepchildren (Church, 1999), there are legal and social barriers that hamper their ability to enact this role. These barriers are particularly apparent in the communication process between stepparents, stepchildren, and social entities outside the household, such as educational, medical, and legal personnel.
