A nuclear family consists of only a mother, a father and children, which is the most common family type in western countries. Typically, but not always, the adults in a nuclear family are married. Children in a nuclear family may be the couple’s biological or adopted offspring. In an extended family, grandparents, parents and children live together with strong geographical proximity. If there is an abusive ideology, however, the extended family can pose as much a risk as a buffer to children. Simple generalizations, therefore, about features of family structure and their role in child maltreatment cannot be made. An attenuated or tenuous family has children who do not live with grandparents or parents but keep in contact with them on a daily basis over the phone or via the internet.
A nuclear family includes a mother, a father and children, which is the most common family type in western countries. In an extended family, a group of relatives including grandparents, parents and children live in close geographical proximity. In an attenuated family, children do not live with their grandparents or parents, but keep in contact with them over the phone or via the Internet.
