Interesting subject and one that probably most of us have witnessed in one form or another, either personally or with people we know.
I think it is important to remember that there are many OK kids despite there also being many that are problematic (due to whatever reason). One of the main issues that places hurdles in the way of successfully integrating a child from a previous relationship into a new one here is the degree of exposure to the extended family the child has had previously (not to mention the lack thereof to the mother in many cases), as what is considered as 'normal' in that environment is a 'country mile' away from what we, as westerners, may be expecting.
It depends on the child I would have thought and I have come across plenty of success stories as well as the horror stories too regarding this issue.
As for guys becoming step fathers here, I would say that you should try to realise just what you are undertaking and have realistic expectations. However, any man that is benevolent enough to give a child a second chance and provide the possibility for said child of being a future success instead of a member of the ever growing 'waste-of-space' brigade should be commended, as there are many that wouldn't.
I have no first hand experience of this subject - but have known a fair few guys that have quite well - and there seems to be varying degrees of success.
As a guess, I'd say that you could probably be able to handle.....say.....one child, but more than one would be difficult and testing, especially if the family is interjecting in the relationship too much.
Really depends on the kid and the relationship's environmental realities, so it's probably not fair to generalize too wildly on this one.
