How marital relations affect child behavior: review of recent research

Abstract

The development of children over time is one of the continuing aims of psychological inquiry. Many studies have concluded that children who grew up in dysfunctional households show inconsistent development across various developmental pathways. Previous studies have consistently concluded how different family factors, such as interparents relationship, parent–child relationships, and emotional relations in families, can explain the outcomes of child behavior problems. Therefore, this paper attempts to review the empirical findings of previous studies that assess the effects of marital relations on child behavioral development by reviewing the literature that supports the association between marital relations and behavioral problems of children. Twenty-seven studies were chosen for their outcomes. This review used online databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, ProQuest, Psychological and Behavioral Science collection, SAGE full-text collection in psychology, and PsycINFO. The key words used were marital relation, marital conflict, marital satisfaction, child behavior problem, and offspring behavior adjustment. All articles hypothesized that marital relation affects child adjustment and behavior outcomes directly and indirectly. Approximately all the research samples were in the developmental stage (ages 3 to 12). Various methodologies were used in the studies, but some methodological defects in the literature in some way diminished the interpretation of their findings. Results revealed that children who come from families high in conflict are at risk of psychopathological developmental problems in their adolescent years. This review adds to a large collection of literature that highlights the damaging effects of marital conflict on children. Research limitations and suggestions for future studies are outlined. The study provides a concrete basis for further research on this topic considering that married couples and child behavior problems are varied. This review can benefit married and soon-to-be married couples by revealing perceptions into the experiences of others as regards marriage problem solving.