Marital Conflict & Child Maladjustment
Christina Maria Aguilera, 18 December 1980, Staten Island, New York, USA.
Aguilera was one of several US teen pop stars to rise to huge popular acclaim in the late 90s.
Of Irish and Ecuadorian descent, her mother played violin and piano professionally while her father's position in the military resulted in the family travelling extensively around the world.
Finally settling in Wexford, Pittsburgh, Aguilera began performing at school talent shows, before making her first professional appearance at the age of eight on the nationally syndicated Star Search show.
Christina has ghosts of domestic violence and child abuse — Aguilera and her mother were victimized by her father when she was young — she transforms the ghosts into talismans of strength and courage.
Frameworks - Trauma TheoryI’m OK
Once upon a time there was a girlIn her early years she had to learnHow to grow up living in a war that she called homeNever know just where to turn for shelter from the stormHurt me to see the pain across my mother's faceEverytime my father's fist would put her in her placeHearing all the yelling I would cry up in my roomHoping it would be over soon Bruises fade father, but the pain remains the sameAnd I still remember how you kept me so afraidStrength is my mother for all the love she gaveEvery morning that I wake I look back to yesterdayAnd I'm OK I often wonder why I carry all this guiltWhen it's you that helped me put up all these walls I've built
Shadows stir at night through a crack in the doorThe echo of a broken child screaming "please no more"Daddy, don't you understand the damage you have doneTo you it's just a memory, but for me it still lives on
Bruises fade father, but the pain remains the sameAnd I still remember how you kept me so, so afraidStrength is my mother for all the love she gaveEvery morning that I wake I look back to yesterday It's not so easy to forgetAll the lines you left along her neckWhen I was thrown against cold stairsAnd every day I'm afraid to come homeIn fear of what I might see there Bruises fade father but the pain remains the sameAnd I still remember how you kept me so afraidStrength is my mother for all the love she gaveEvery morning that I wake I look back to yesterdayAnd I'm OKI'm OK
The Aguilera Continuum - Exploring the Differing Effects of
Marital Conflict on Children -
Overview
Introduction
Explanatory Frameworks
Impact of Conflict on ChildrenDevelopmental Psychopathology Perspective
Children’s relationshipsWith parents, siblings, extended family & peers
Extreme Impacts
Predicting Outcomes
Prevention & Intervention
Outcomes of Interparental Conflict
Negative child outcomes are more strongly associated with family variables, particularly marital conflict, than divorceChildren of divorced families appear to have
higher levels of well-being than children from intact, high conflict families (Amato & Keith, 1991)
Continued conflict between parents after divorce exacerbates negative child adjustment (Hetherington & Clingempeel, 1989)
Outcomes of Interparental Conflict
Maladjustment occurs on a continuumAssociations noted between marital conflict and:
Internalizing behaviour problems• Depression, withdrawal, anxiety
Externalizing behaviour problems• Conduct disorder, aggressiveness,
delinquency/antisocial behaviourPost-traumatic stress symptomsPhysiological & health symptomsProblems with mood, academics, peer
relationships, and social problem solving abilities
Outcomes of Interparental Conflict
Associations are modest less than 0.30
Meta-analysis of over 80 studies found mean effect size of 0.46
Review of 26 studies, vast majority of studies were associated with effect sizes of less than 0.30
Zimet & Jacob (2001)
Why the difference?
Children differ…Families differ…Social support structures differ…
Effect of marital conflict on child adjustment is a broad construct
Frameworks for understanding
Frameworks
Family Systems TheoryTransmission of AffectContingency of Cognitive StyleGenetic Transmission TheoryTrauma TheorySocial Learning Theory
Frameworks
Family Systems Theory –Psychopathology as a reflection of family
processesMarital power struggles are accompanied by an
intensification of intimacy &/or rejection in the parent-child relationship
Frameworks
Transmission of Affect –Spillover
Disharmony in one family relationship effects other family relationships and overall family stability
Common-factorPersonality characteristics of one person
influences both marital and parental relationships
Frameworks
Contingency of Cognitive StyleLike common-factor but cognitive
Individuals may apply cognitive perceptions globally not specifically
Negative perceptions and interpretations of marital relationship colours view of children
Frameworks
Genetic Transmission TheoryEffects of marital discord are either caused or
exacerbated by genetic similarities between parent and child
Parental conflict and child conduct problems are mediated by genes (e.g. antisocial personality)
Frameworks
Social Learning TheoryChildren learn from what they see from parentsIndirectly
Apply model of conflict (poor conflict resolution & hostility) to other relationships
DirectlyInterparental conflict disrupts normal family activities
& limits opportunities to correct aversive child behaviours
Frameworks
Social Learning Theory (cont’d…)Growing up in the presence of parental conflict
can have a disinhibitory effect, teaching children that aggressive behaviour is appropriate and permitted
A child may see aggression as an appropriate form of conflict management and develop maladaptive techniques for problem solving or conflict resolution
Grych & Fincham, 1990
Frameworks
Trauma TheoryMost applicable to extreme or abusive marital
conflictMaladjustment caused by repeated exposure to
traumatic stressor of interparental conflict
Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderSensitization
Frameworks
Trauma Theory (cont’d)
SensitizationMore frequent open conflict is associated
with increased behaviour problems
Johnson et. al. (1987), Long et. al. (1987, 1988), Porter &
O’Leary (1980), Wierson et. al. (1988)
Is interparental conflict inherently traumatic?
Frameworks Discussion
Realism of frameworks?
Family Systems Theory
Transmission of Affect
Contingency of Cognitive Style
Genetic Transmission Theory
Trauma TheorySocial Learning
Theory
In school Christina's teachers are noticing that she has become overly sensitive. When Christina (8 years old) encounters small challenges she responds with tears. The other day her classmate Brian told her that she was not welcome at his birthday party because it was for boys only. Christina became overwrought and refused to participate in class activities for the remainder of the day.
At home Christina's parents are in the process of an acrimonious divorce. When Christina's father comes to pick her up, her parents argue loudly in front of Christina, often about Christina herself (e.g. discipline, custody, the origin of her emotional instability, etc.)
Explain the scenario in terms of your framework
Impact of Conflict on Children
Impact on Children
Developmental psychopathology perspective
Systems theoryChildren’s relationships with
ParentsSiblings and extended familyPeers
Alcoholism and DrugsSuicide
Developmental PsychopathologyPerspective
Assumes child’s reactions to a stressor reflects an interaction between the nature of the stressor and the child's developmental capacities to respond to that stressor
Need to look at 3 things:how consequences of marital conflict vary in intensity
and form at different developmental stageshow outcomes are multiply determined rather than
uniquely the result of marital conflictwhether and under what circumstances the risk of
exposure at one age affects later development
Margolin et. al. (2001)
The meaning children place on marital conflict determines how it impacts them and how they develop
This perspective helps us understand why marital conflict does not affect everyone in the same way
No one age group is more vulnerable to marital conflict than another
Children’s relationships – Systems Theory
Good theory to explain the influence of marital conflict on children
Developed from psychiatry and psychotherapy
Circular not linear – e.g. parental behaviour reinforces child’s behaviour which reinforces parental behaviour
The material structure is not what defines an object it is its organization as defined by the patterns of interaction among its parts
Looks at not just the individual but the family tooNegative feedback processPositive feedback process
Children’s Relationships
With Parents
With Siblings & Extended Family
With Peers
With Parents
First need to distinguish between quality and quantity of parenting
Quality suffers because parents may be less sensitive and responsive to needs of child
Spillover HypothesisNegative affect in the marital relationship is
thought to spread to and contaminate or disrupt the interactions between the parents and the child
With Parents
Emotional Security HypothesisThere is a link between marital discord and
less sensitive and responsive parentingChildren do not just react to the occurrence of
marital conflict, but also to the meaning of conflict
Can impede child’s development of emotional regulation skills
Parents may become a source of fear rather than a source of comfort
With Parents
Parental WithdrawalParents may withdraw from children due to
preoccupation with the marital conflictChildren may see this as parental rejection or
disinterest
With Parents
Scapegoating / detouringChild takes on symptoms of family pathology and
becomes identified as the problematic member of the family system
TriangulationOne or both parents try to recruit child into a
coalition against the other parentChild’s relationship with both parents may suffer
With Parents
Learning PerspectiveChildren who respond by involving
themselves in the conflict exhibit higher levels of maladjustment
Adolescents model the parents behaviour and act more aggressively towards parents, especially toward their mother
When child acts out parents stop fighting to deal with the child therefore causing negative reinforcement of the acting out
With Parents
Parental DisciplineParents may exhibit harsh, permissive or
inconsistent discipline
Why?Displaced anger, compensationNo energy to deal with childDisorganized, behaving differently depending
on who’s aroundDifficulty communicating
With Parents
Overt & covert co-parenting
The Compensatory Hypothesis“It is questionable whether a close relationship
fueled by a parent’s negative relationship with his/her spouse is truly positive”
Do you agree or disagree?
With Siblings & Extended Family
Depends on Children’s adjustmentSocial understanding (i.e. individual differences in
reading others)Triangulation
May create differential treatment of children Leads to sibling conflict because children model parents
behaviourIn all families, step and half siblings are not as
close as real siblings In marital conflict families this may be more pronounced
With Peers
Modeling HypothesisConflict impacts peer relationships because it
exposes them to frequent bouts of conflict that the child may imitate when with peers
Cognitive contextual frameworkNeed to understand the properties of conflict,
child’s processing of conflict and overall context of conflict
With Peers
Emotional security hypothesisChildren work to maintain a sense of emotional
well-being that guides their reaction to parental conflict
Children from high conflict families were rated by their teachers as less socially competent, having more conduct problems poor problem solving skills
Extreme Adverse Impacts
Alcoholism & drugsDrinking and drugs plays important adaptive
and functional roleDiverts attention from other areas of conflictProvides elements of stability and predictabilityParents of alcoholics usually emotionally
immature and unstable
Extreme Adverse Impacts
Suicide Family systems theory sees suicide as a
symptom of family dysfunctionAdolescence who commit suicide may be
helping their families avoid painful issues like acceptance of a family member leaving home or diverting from other family conflicts
Outcomes
Factors that impact child adjustment to marital conflict
Categories of Moderating Variables
Three categories of influences on children’s adjustment -
Child VariablesParent VariablesNon-family Variables
Child Variables
CognitiveCausal Attribution
Children who assume stable, continuous, global & externally controlled are more prone to low self esteem, poorer communication with parents & negative affect
Attribution of BlameWhen parents provide an explanation absolving children of
fault for the conflict, children’s perception of self-blame & desire to intervene in future is reduced
Efficacy ExpectationsWhen efficacy high, a child expects to be able to cope with
emotions and use effective behaviours in managing their response to conflict
Child Variables
BehaviouralEmotion Focused - focus on positive,
ascribing blame, altering interpretationProblem Focused - intervene or distract
parents from conflictSuccessful interventions increases the
likelihood that the child will be involved in future conflicts
Child Variables
ContextualDistal factors -
Conflict history as a primer forincreased sensitizationanticipated outcomes
Proximal factors - Children who are depressed or in a negative mood
are more likely to recall negative events and make negative judgements
Child VariablesIndividual / Demographic differences
Temperament“difficult” children react more strongly to marital
problem-solving task• reactivity to stress• influences on behavioural responses• parent-child relationship
Age / DevelopmentChildren of all ages evidence maladjustmentNo single age more or less likely to be affected
GenderBoys - externalizing problems, girls - internalizing
Parent Variables
Parenting strategiesWith partnerWith child
GenderFather-child relationship more vulnerable to
effects of marital conflict than mother-child relationship
Non-family variables
Peer influencesSocial influences
social supportsocial norms & mores
Both child and parent are influenced by external factors
Study 4
Family characteristics as potentiating and protective factors in the association between parental conflict and child functioning
Aim -To identify the family processes that moderate
the link between interparental conflict and child functioning
Study 4 - Hypotheses
Family cohesion, interparental relationship satisfaction and interparental emotional expressiveness will act as protective factors in associations between parental conflict and child maladjustment
The relationship between interpersonal conflict and child emotional insecurity will be weaker for children who experience warm, cohesive, and expressive family relationship
Study 4 - Method
Parental Conflict Child Emotional Insecurity Child Internalizing Symptoms Child External Symptoms Child Behaviour Dysregulation Family Cohesion
Family Instability Interparental Expressiveness Interparental Satisfaction Parent-Child Insecurity Parenting Difficulties
173 parent-child dyads completed survey packets to assess 11 variables:
Study 4 - Results
Statistical regression analysis supports a link between family characteristics and child adjustment
Specifically:Interparental conflict correlated with child insecurity in
the parental relationshipChild insecurity correlated with child’s psychological
symptomsNo effect of adversity in the parent-child relationship
(i.e. parenting difficulties & parent-child insecurity)Link between child insecurity and child maladjustment
weak when high levels of family cohesiveness, parental satisfaction & interpersonal expressiveness
Study 4 - Conclusion
Family cohesiveness, parental satisfaction & interpersonal expressiveness can protect insecure children from suffering maladjustment as a result of interparental conflict
Easy for them to say...
Prevention & Intervention
Prevention
PrenuptialThe transition to parenthoodInfancyChildhoodAdolescenceMarital/couplesDivorce
Intervention
Some forms of conflict can be good because it teaches the child how to deal with and solve their own conflicts
Intervention
I CAN DO programResourceful Adolescent ProgramPrevention and Relationship
Enhancement ProgramChildren of Divorce Intervention ProgramDivorce Education for ParentsChildren in the MiddlePenn Prevention ProgramPositive Adolescent Choices Training
A final thought…
Marital conflict does not cause maladjustment in all children
Dispositional, cognitive and other factors all play a significant role
Children’s and parent’s coping strategies influence the end result of conflict
Successfully handled marital conflict can help foster successful children
As Christina would say…
"One track in particular that I wrote with Linda, it sounds like a twisted lullaby," she continues. "It's about my childhood and past. Not to get too specific, but I've spoken openly about trying to get the word out about domestic violence and child abuse, so one of the songs is really personal. I'm not afraid to do that, because I feel like so many other young people in certain situations like this [can see that] someone coming from that background could grow up and do something so great and use a bad experience and turn it into a good one.
I turned to music originally because of my past and needing a release or an outlet to get out anger or frustration or hurt."
As Christina would say…