The exact nature of these blended families has social significance for adults and children alike. Certainly resocialization is required when an adult becomes a stepparent or a child becomes a stepchild and stepsiblings. Moreover, an important distinction must be made between first-time stepfamilies and households where there have been repeated divorces, breakups, or changes in custodial arrangements. have In evaluating the rise of stepfamilies, some observers assumed that children would benefit from remarriage because they would be gaining a second custodial parent and potentially would enjoy greater economic security However, after reviewing many studies on stepfamilies, so ciologist Andrew Cherlin(1999:421) concluded that"the well-being of children in stepfamily households is no bet ter, on average, than the well-being of children in divorced, single-parent households." Stepparents can play valuable and unique roles in their stepchildren's lives, but their in volvement does not guarantee an improvement.