Interparental Conflict—Effects on Children
Conclusion
Although the magnitude of the relationship is not always large, an association between interparental conflict and child maladjustment is a robust finding in the literature. Exposure to conflict by parents, however, though it increases the probability of adjustment difficulties in children, appears to lead to serious maladaptive outcomes in a relatively small percentage of children (Fincham 1998). Goals of future research include developing a better understanding of how demographic variables such as sex and ethnicity/race and individual differences in cognition and emotion intersect with each other and with other elements of family functioning (e.g., parenting) in determining the impact of marital conflict on children.
See also: ATTACHMENT: PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS; CONFLICT: COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS; CONFLICT: FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS; CONDUCT DISORDER; COPARENTING; DEPRESSION: CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS; DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY; DIVORCE: EFFECTS ON CHILDREN; INTERPARENTAL VIOLENCE—EFFECTS ON CHILDREN; JUVENILE DELINQUENCY; MARITAL QUALITY; REMARRIAGE; TRIANGULATION
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KRISTIN LINDAHL
Additional topics
Marriage and Family EncyclopediaPregnancy & ParenthoodInterparental Conflict—Effects on Children - Theoretical Models, Dimensions Of Marital Conflict, Individual Protective Factors, Conclusion