The effects of parental conflict on young children

1. The effects of parentalThe effects of parental
conflict on young childrenconflict on young children

2. IssuesIssues
 There is strong evidence that parents’ maritalThere is strong evidence that parents’ marital
disruption process affects children continuously.disruption process affects children continuously.
 Children who witness violence are more likely toChildren who witness violence are more likely to
have problems in one or more of the five areashave problems in one or more of the five areas
of behavioral, emotional, social, cognitive, andof behavioral, emotional, social, cognitive, and
physical issues than children who do not.physical issues than children who do not.
 This body of research is relatively recent, and itsThis body of research is relatively recent, and its
findings are limited.findings are limited.

3. GenderGender
 Girls are more resilient when encounteringGirls are more resilient when encountering
stresses such as marital disruption, but it is alsostresses such as marital disruption, but it is also
possible that girls manifest distress in ways thatpossible that girls manifest distress in ways that
are more difficult to observe – such as byare more difficult to observe – such as by
becoming more anxious or depressed orbecoming more anxious or depressed or
exhibiting over controlled “good” behavior.exhibiting over controlled “good” behavior.
 For boys, marital disruption was associated withFor boys, marital disruption was associated with
increases in behavior problems.increases in behavior problems.
 The process of marital disruption appears toThe process of marital disruption appears to
affect girls to the same extent that it does boys.affect girls to the same extent that it does boys.

4. Socio Economic StatusSocio Economic Status
 Although findings are not always consistent,Although findings are not always consistent,
lower SES has been associated with higherlower SES has been associated with higher
levels of negative family appraisals, hostile peerlevels of negative family appraisals, hostile peer
information processing patterns, and schoolinformation processing patterns, and school
adjustment problems.adjustment problems.
 Because economic hardships contribute toBecause economic hardships contribute to
divorce, it is not surprising that children fromdivorce, it is not surprising that children from
predivorced families have a shortage ofpredivorced families have a shortage of
resources.resources.
 Households in the disruption process have lessHouseholds in the disruption process have less
social & financial resources than theirsocial & financial resources than their
continuously married counterparts.continuously married counterparts.

5. Age of onsetAge of onset
 Some researchers have reported more detrimentalSome researchers have reported more detrimental
effects on children’s cognitive functioning when maritaleffects on children’s cognitive functioning when marital
disruption occurred during the child’s preschool years,disruption occurred during the child’s preschool years,
while others found no consistent effects of the child’swhile others found no consistent effects of the child’s
age at disruption.age at disruption.
 There is some evidence that living in a single-parentThere is some evidence that living in a single-parent
family has more negative effects on cognitivefamily has more negative effects on cognitive
performance for first-born children than for later-bornperformance for first-born children than for later-born
ones.ones.
 Children in recently divorced families were likely to haveChildren in recently divorced families were likely to have
more problems in areas of school performance thanmore problems in areas of school performance than
children in early divorced or in never divorced families.children in early divorced or in never divorced families.

6. Effects on parent-childEffects on parent-child
relationshiprelationship
 Witnessing parents behave in a frighteningWitnessing parents behave in a frightening
way during an interparental disagreementway during an interparental disagreement
may not only trigger children’s socialmay not only trigger children’s social
defense strategies to help protectdefense strategies to help protect
themselves against harm but alsothemselves against harm but also
undermine children’s confidence in theirundermine children’s confidence in their
parents as sources of protection andparents as sources of protection and
support.support.

7. Relating issues to peerRelating issues to peer
relationshipsrelationships
 Children develop models or representations of familyChildren develop models or representations of family
relationships that they later use as guides in newrelationships that they later use as guides in new
settings to help them negotiate other social experiences.settings to help them negotiate other social experiences.
 Children’s insecure representations of interparentalChildren’s insecure representations of interparental
relationships are associated with greater negativerelationships are associated with greater negative
processing of peer events, as indicated by theirprocessing of peer events, as indicated by their
tendencies to attribute hostile intent to peers, interprettendencies to attribute hostile intent to peers, interpret
peer emotions as reflecting negative motives, andpeer emotions as reflecting negative motives, and
endorse hostile behavioral responses to the provocation.endorse hostile behavioral responses to the provocation.
 Children who exhibit a hostile information processingChildren who exhibit a hostile information processing
style may evoke chronic peer rejection and abuse that, instyle may evoke chronic peer rejection and abuse that, in
turn, may negatively impact their engagement andturn, may negatively impact their engagement and
achievement in the school environment.achievement in the school environment.

8. Effects on academicsEffects on academics
 Insecure representations of the interparentalInsecure representations of the interparental
relationship and parent-child relationshiprelationship and parent-child relationship
predicted lower school functioning.predicted lower school functioning.
 Children’s negative peer representationsChildren’s negative peer representations
predicted decrements in children’s academicpredicted decrements in children’s academic
functioning characterized by attention difficulties,functioning characterized by attention difficulties,
poor academic performance, and lack ofpoor academic performance, and lack of
cooperative participation in classroom activities.cooperative participation in classroom activities.
 The negative effects of marital disruption do notThe negative effects of marital disruption do not
reflect children’s innate abilities, but rather theirreflect children’s innate abilities, but rather their
performance in terms of task accomplishments.performance in terms of task accomplishments.

9. Increased stress after separationIncreased stress after separation
 Increased anxiety and stress in mothers inIncreased anxiety and stress in mothers in
response to separation or divorce may lead toresponse to separation or divorce may lead to
increased anxiety in their children, which in turnincreased anxiety in their children, which in turn
may affect the children’s school performance.may affect the children’s school performance.
 Many custodial parents, distressed andMany custodial parents, distressed and
overburdened, become less supportive andoverburdened, become less supportive and
more inconsistent in disciplining their children.more inconsistent in disciplining their children.
 In addition, household routines are frequentlyIn addition, household routines are frequently
interrupted, resulting in irregular meal andinterrupted, resulting in irregular meal and
bedtime.bedtime.

10. DivorceDivorce
 Children in high-conflict families fare less wellChildren in high-conflict families fare less well
subsequently if their families remain in tact than if theirsubsequently if their families remain in tact than if their
parent’s later divorce.parent’s later divorce.
 The conflict and difficulties that lead to divorce areThe conflict and difficulties that lead to divorce are
usually set in motion well before the family actuallyusually set in motion well before the family actually
separates, and when disruption does occur, the roughlyseparates, and when disruption does occur, the roughly
2 to 3 years that follow have been described as a “crisis2 to 3 years that follow have been described as a “crisis
period” characterized by dramatic changes in children’speriod” characterized by dramatic changes in children’s
day-to-day lives.day-to-day lives.
 Another prevalent change associated with divorce is aAnother prevalent change associated with divorce is a
decline in economic resources in mother-custodydecline in economic resources in mother-custody
families.families.

11. Support/InterventionSupport/Intervention
 Preventative intervention targeted to childrenPreventative intervention targeted to children
experiencing family disruption would be useful inexperiencing family disruption would be useful in
reducing the occurrence of problems in schoolreducing the occurrence of problems in school
performance.performance.
 Support groups could be offered in schoolSupport groups could be offered in school
settings to children of recently disrupted families.settings to children of recently disrupted families.
 More intensive intervention could be provided orMore intensive intervention could be provided or
recommended for children showing signs ofrecommended for children showing signs of
adjustment problems, whether behavioral oradjustment problems, whether behavioral or
academic, following marital disruption.academic, following marital disruption.

12. The End!The End!