Stepgrandparents and Stepgrandchildren: A Scoping Review of What We Know About Their Relationships in Western Societies

Family structures in Western societies have become complex and diverse over the past six decades, shaped by evolving sociocultural norms and changing marital trends. While divorce rates have declined since 2000, they remain higher than in the 1960s. This history of marital instability has resulted in a rise in stepfamilies, highlighting the importance of understanding intergenerational dynamics within stepfamilies. This scoping review aims to synthesize scientific data regarding the intergenerational relationships between stepgrandparents and stepgrandchildren within stepfamilies in Western countries. To this end, a comprehensive scoping review was conducted following the methodology established by the Johanna Briggs Institute. Results indicate that grandchildren generally feel closer to their biological grandparents than to their stepgrandparents. The relationship quality between stepgrandparents and stepgrandchildren is influenced by factors as age, gender, and family history of both stepgrandparents and stepgranchildren. Future research should examine how cultural, socio-economic, and intersectional factors influence stepgrandparental roles