New Challenges for Research in Family Relationships and Child Well-Being

Dear Colleagues,

Family is the first and most important context in which children develop, shaping their well-being and outcomes as adults. Promoting the well-being and positive development of children is a political priority and a means to break the cycle of disadvantage for those growing up in adverse environments, as well as to enhance social cohesion. One of the main challenges for researchers and practitioners working with families is to know which forces, both negative and positive, drive and determine children’s well-being, how they interact among themselves and how to intervene effectively to minimise risk and strengthen internal and external resilience factors.

Family factors, including the quality of parenting and family relations, play a crucial role in children’s early lives and their developmental pathways, for better or for worse. Adequate parenting requires the coordination of parenting goals, styles and strategies to convey coherent expectations and values to their children, as well as the ability to communicate, cooperate and manage conflicts. Understanding how best to intervene to support parents is a key challenge. Thus, there is a strong need to expand our knowledge on how to reduce risk factors and to promote protective environments.

This Special Issue addresses this topic by inviting scholars to share their findings, perspectives and approaches, with the aim of promoting positive parenting, improving family relations and, ultimately, ameliorating child well-being. Qualitative or quantitative contributions from basic or applied research with the potential to advance the current knowledge in this field are welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Cristina Nunes
Guest Editor

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