Child responses to parental conflict and their effect on adjustment: A study of triadic relations

The purpose of this study was to examine child response patterns to parental conflict and assess their contribution to child functioning. The focus was on 3 potential child responses and their relation to later depressive and aggressive behavior. Direct observations and questionnaire data were collected on 156 2-parent families. Aggressive behavior showed the strongest sequential relation to interparental conflict and the strongest predictive relation to increased aggressive functioning. Gender differences were found in the use of child aggressive response patterns. Results for the relation between child responses and increases in depressive functioning were weaker than those found for aggressive functioning. The results provide support for the examination of child response patterns as a potentially rich area of exploration for understanding the family mechanisms affecting both aggressive and depressive functioning in children.