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Mutual Influence of Marital Conflict and Children's Behavior Problems: Shared and Nonshared Family Risks
Author(s) -
Jenkins Jennifer,
Simpson Anna,
Dunn Judy,
Rasbash Jon,
O'Connor Thomas G.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2005.00827.x
Subject(s) - psychology , stepfamily , developmental psychology , family conflict , population , multilevel model , longitudinal study , argument (complex analysis) , social psychology , demography , biochemistry , statistics , chemistry , mathematics , sociology , computer science , machine learning
This within‐family, longitudinal study including biological and stepfamilies investigated mutual influences between marital conflict and children's behavior problems. Children (4 to 17 years; N =296) residing in 127 families drawn from a general population study were investigated at Time 1 and again 2 years later. These nested data were analyzed using multilevel modeling, controlling for previous child behavior or marital conflict. Marital conflict about children predicted change in children's behavior. Children's behavior also predicted an increase in marital conflict, particularly in stepfamilies. Differences between siblings in exposure to conflict and the extent to which siblings were a source of argument increased more in stepfamilies than in biological families. Boys were exposed to more conflict over time than were girls.