Parental Conflict Research Articles

OBILJEŽJA VISOKOKONFLIKTNIH RAZVODA RODITELJA S MALOLJETNOM DJECOM

CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH-CONFLICT DIVORCES OF PARENTS WITH MINOR CHILDREN ABSTRACT Researches dealing with divorce from a psychosocial perspective highlight the child’s exposure to parental conflicts during the divorce process and the quality of co-parenting as the two most powerful factors influencing the adjustment of children to the process of divorce. Thus, the adjustment of children is particularly vulnerable in high-conflict divorces. Having this in mind, the emphasis in this paper is on an overview of the definitions of high-conflict divorce and the factors that contribute to it. A better understanding of ongoing conflict between parents can help facilitate risk assessment for developing high-conflict divorces, as well as create evidence-based prevention programs for that matter. The purpose is to undertake preventive and treatment activities to reduce the level of conflict between parents and prevent consequences for children. In addition, the need for the development of such programs is emphasized, as well as their balanced implementation in the social welfare system, through family centers and other authorized social services providers. Key words: high-conflict divorce; consequences for children; predictors; prevention

The Influence of Parent-grandparent Co-parenting on Children’s Problem Behaviors and Its Potential Mechanisms

ABSTRACT This study aimed to examine the influence of parent-grandparent co-parenting on children’s problem behaviors and its potential mechanisms. Participants were 412 children aged 3 to 6 years from four kindergartens in Shanghai, China. Their mothers were asked to complete a series of questionnaires including the parent-grandparent co-parenting scale, parenting style scale, parent-child relationship scale, and their grandparents were asked to complete children’s behavior evaluation scale. Research Findings: The results showed that: (1) Supportive co-parenting was associated with less internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors in preschool children, and unsupportive co-parenting was associated with more internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors; (2) Supportive parent-grandparent co-parenting was negatively associated with children’s internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors mainly through maternal authoritative parenting and mother-child conflict, and unsupportive parent-grandparent co-parenting was positively associated with children’s internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors mainly through maternal authoritarian parenting and mother-child conflict, or directly through mother-child conflict. Practice or Policy: These findings provide valuable information on the importance of parenting styles and parent-child relationships between parent-grandparent co-parenting and children’s problem behaviors in Chinese culture.

PD48-11 DECISIONAL CONFLICT IN PARENTS REGARDING NEWBORN CIRCUMCISION

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 May 2022PD48-11 DECISIONAL CONFLICT IN PARENTS REGARDING NEWBORN CIRCUMCISION Hannah Botkin, Denise Juhr, Douglas Storm, Christopher Cooper, and Gina Lockwood Hannah BotkinHannah Botkin More articles by this author , Denise JuhrDenise Juhr More articles by this author , Douglas StormDouglas Storm More articles by this author , Christopher CooperChristopher Cooper More articles by this author , and Gina LockwoodGina Lockwood More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002616.11AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Informed consent is obtained prior to circumcision of newborn males, but little is known about the degree of uncertainty parents experience surrounding the choice of whether or not to circumcise. We evaluated the degree of decisional conflict (DC) in parents of male children and children of unknown sex during the prenatal period. METHODS: We administered a validated questionnaire, the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS), to pregnant mothers carrying a male child or child of unknown sex during prenatal care visits as well as to expecting parents via an institution-wide survey. DCS total score was calculated on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 representing no DC, and 100 representing extremely high DC. Total score, as well as uncertainty, informed, values clarity, support, and effective decision subscores were calculated. Decisional conflict was considered to be low with a score of less than 25, intermediate with scores between 25 and 37.5 and high with scores greater than 37.5. Unpaired t-test was used to compare results between groups. RESULTS: 153 DCS were completed and analyzed. All mothers approached for survey completion during prenatal visits completed the survey. 57.9% (n=88) of respondents reported they would choose circumcision for their male child, with 33% (n=51) choosing not to circumcise, and the remaining 8.6% (n=13) unsure about the choice. Mean total DCS score was higher (mean = 44.4, SD 11.9) for parents reporting they were unsure, than those who selected circumcision (mean = 12.9, SD 14.2; p <0.0001) or no circumcision (mean = 5.5, SD 8.7; p <0.0001). Mean scores were not significantly different from trimester to trimester, and the number of those unsure about the decision were spread evenly between the first, second and third trimesters. Subscale scores were all low for conflict in those who had decided on circumcision or against it. All subscale scores in the unsure group were high, with the highest being the uncertainty subscale (mean = 62.8, SD 15.8) and the values clarity subscale (mean = 48.1, SD 14.9). CONCLUSIONS: Our survey data showed that a small proportion of parents-to-be do experience high levels of DC regarding the decision of whether or not to circumcise. Importantly, some parents report not understanding the risks, benefits, and side effects of this procedure, as reflected in the informed subscore or understanding the relative importance of their own values in this decision, as reflected in the values clarity subscore. Better understanding of the modifiable factors contributing to this hesitancy could help providers alleviate conflict and regret regarding this decision. Source of Funding: None © 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 207Issue Supplement 5May 2022Page: e803 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Hannah Botkin More articles by this author Denise Juhr More articles by this author Douglas Storm More articles by this author Christopher Cooper More articles by this author Gina Lockwood More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF DownloadLoading ...

Parental Marital Conflict and Adolescents Drug Abuse Tendency: The Moderated Model of Depression and Mindfulness

Parental Marital Conflict and Adolescents Drug Abuse Tendency: The Moderated Model of Depression and Mindfulness

Identification of imprinted genes in the skeletal muscle of newborn piglets by high-throughput sequencing.

Imprinted genes - exhibiting parent-specific transcription - play essential roles in the process of mammalian development and growth. Skeletal muscle growth is crucial for meat production. To further understand the role of imprinted genes during the porcine skeletal muscle growth, DNA-seq and RNA-seq were used to explore the characteristics of imprinted genes from porcine reciprocal crosses. A total of 584 545 single-nucleotide variations were discovered in the DNA-seq data of F0 parents, heterozygous in two pig breeds (Yorkshire and Min pigs) but homozygous in each breed. These single-nucleotide variations were used to determine the allelic-specific expression in F1 individuals. Finally, eight paternal expression sites and three maternal expression sites were detected, whereas two paternally expressed imprinted genes (NDN and IGF2) and one maternally expressed imprinted gene (H1-3) were validated by Sanger sequencing. DNA methylation regulates the expression of imprinted genes, and all of the identified imprinted genes in this study were predicted to possess CpG islands. PBX1 and YY1 binding motifs were discovered in the promoter regions of all three imprinted genes, which were candidate elements regulating the transcription of imprinted genes. For these identified imprinted genes, IGF2 and NDN promoted muscle growth whereas H1-3 inhibited cell proliferation, corroborating the 'parental conflict' theory that paternally expressed imprinted genes assisted descendants' growth whereas maternally expressed imprinted genes inhibited it. This study discovered porcine imprinted genes in skeletal muscle and was the first to reveal that H1-3 was expressed by the maternal allele to our knowledge. Our findings provided valuable resources for the potential utilization of imprinted genes in pig breeding.

The X-linked splicing regulator MBNL3 has been co-opted to restrict placental growth in eutherians

Understanding the regulatory interactions that control gene expression during the development of novel tissues is a key goal of evolutionary developmental biology. Here, we show that Mbnl3 has undergone a striking process of evolutionary specialization in eutherian mammals resulting in the emergence of a novel placental function for the gene. Mbnl3 belongs to a family of RNA-binding proteins whose members regulate multiple aspects of RNA metabolism. We find that, in eutherians, while both Mbnl3 and its paralog Mbnl2 are strongly expressed in placenta, Mbnl3 expression has been lost from nonplacental tissues in association with the evolution of a novel promoter. Moreover, Mbnl3 has undergone accelerated protein sequence evolution leading to changes in its RNA-binding specificities and cellular localization. While Mbnl2 and Mbnl3 share partially redundant roles in regulating alternative splicing, polyadenylation site usage and, in turn, placenta maturation, Mbnl3 has also acquired novel biological functions. Specifically, Mbnl3 knockout (M3KO) alone results in increased placental growth associated with higher Myc expression. Furthermore, Mbnl3 loss increases fetal resource allocation during limiting conditions, suggesting that location of Mbnl3 on the X chromosome has led to its role in limiting placental growth, favoring the maternal side of the parental genetic conflict.

Parental marital conflict, negative emotions, phubbing, and academic burnout among college students in the postpandemic era: A multiple mediating models

AbstractGiven the serious effects of coronavirus disease 2019 on academic burnout, this study aims to examine the multiple mediating roles of negative emotions and phubbing in the relationship between parental marital conflict and academic burnout. A total of 1353 college students participated in this study. The results showed that parental marital conflict not only had a direct effect on academic burnout but also affected academic burnout through three indirect paths: parental marital conflict‐negative emotions‐academic burnout, parental marital conflict‐phubbing‐academic burnout, and parental marital conflict‐negative emotions‐phubbing‐academic burnout. The parental marital conflict increased the risk of negative emotions and phubbing in college students and had a subsequent impact on academic burnout. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.

Like ripples on a pond: The long-term consequences of parental separation and conflicts in childhood on adult children's self-rated health

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to explore how different forms of conflict in childhood and parental separation additively and interactively predict self-rated health (SRH) in adulthood. Furthermore, a subsample analysis investigated how different family conflicts predict SRH in adulthood within the group of separated families, controlling for post-separation circumstances. BackgroundPrevious research shows that adult children from separated families have worse health compared to peers from intact families. Additionally, inter-parental conflicts are closely associated with parental separation and known to negatively influence children's health. Few studies have taken a broader perspective on conflicts and included conflicts beyond the inter-parental subsystem, such as within other family subsystems, into their analysis. MethodsData were based on Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU). Using linear probability modelling the first analysis shows that SRH in adulthood varies depending on family type and the occurrence of conflict in childhood (n = 6,638). The study then explored variations in SRH within separated families (n = 934). ResultsThe results show that adult children from separated families and families with different types of conflicts have worse SRH compared to their peers in intact families and families with no conflicts. ConclusionParental separation has long-term consequences on children's SRH and this relationship is partly predicted by parent-child conflicts. ImplicationsThe results underline the importance of considering children's involvement when studying the separation process and its outcomes. They also suggest that interventions to help parents and children through a separation would benefit from a focus, not only on inter-parental conflicts but also, on parent-child conflicts, as well as parents' role modelling to prevent children from experiencing negative long-term health outcomes.

Parents in couple therapy: An intervention targeting marital and coparenting relationships.

This article describes the treatment framework and core therapeutic principles of the integrative brief systemic intervention (IBSI), a manualized six‐session intervention intended for parents seeking couple therapy. IBSI aims to work on the couple's presenting problem, considering its specific impact in the marital and coparenting domains. The basic premise of IBSI is to consider that, when working with couples who have children, therapeutic work on their coparenting alliance may be used as a lever, as both parents may be particularly motivated to improve their relationship for their children's benefit. Increasing the coparenting alliance may then facilitate work on deeper conflicts within the marital relationship. The core therapeutic principles of IBSI are: (1) joining with the couple as romantic partners and a coparenting team from the start of the therapeutic process; (2) supporting the parents in increasing their awareness regarding their children's behavior and emotional experiences when facing their parents’ conflicts; and (3) working on the spill‐ and cross‐over effects between marital and coparenting relationships (i.e., exploring how conflict or positivity spills over from one relationship to the other or crosses over from one partner to the other). Therapeutic work following these main therapeutic principles is expected to improve the quality of both relationships. A clinical case is provided to illustrate the core therapeutic principles of IBSI.

RNA Pol IV induces antagonistic parent-of-origin effects on Arabidopsis endosperm.

Gene expression in endosperm-a seed tissue that mediates transfer of maternal resources to offspring-is under complex epigenetic control. We show here that plant-specific RNA polymerase IV (Pol IV) mediates parental control of endosperm gene expression. Pol IV is required for the production of small interfering RNAs that typically direct DNA methylation. We compared small RNAs (sRNAs), DNA methylation, and mRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana endosperm from heterozygotes produced by reciprocally crossing wild-type (WT) plants to Pol IV mutants. We find that maternally and paternally acting Pol IV induce distinct effects on endosperm. Loss of maternal or paternal Pol IV impacts sRNAs and DNA methylation at different genomic sites. Strikingly, maternally and paternally acting Pol IV have antagonistic impacts on gene expression at some loci, divergently promoting or repressing endosperm gene expression. Antagonistic parent-of-origin effects have only rarely been described and are consistent with a gene regulatory system evolving under parental conflict.

The long-term psychological effects of parental alienation during childhood

Parental alienation, thought to be a form of emotional abuse stemming from parental conflict, remains to be a relatively poorly understood construct. Specifically, the long-term psychological impact of experiencing parental alienation have to date not been investigated in great detail. The present study aimed to examine the long-term effects of experiencing parental alienation during childhood. Here we investigated the role of parental alienation experience in measures of self-sufficiency, depression, attachment, self-esteem and anxiety. Findings indicate a strong association between parental alienation and anxiety, offering support to previous descriptions of parental alienation as a syndrome and providing an important basis on which to build future investigations into the lasting effects of this understudied childhood experience.

Parent work-life conflict and adolescent adjustment during COVID-19: Mental health and parenting as mediators.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is an unprecedented challenging time for parents and adolescents. The present study examines the role of parent work-life conflict on adolescent adjustment (i.e., academic engagement and mental health) and family processes (i.e., parental mental health and parenting) as potential mediators for this association. A total of 692 middle school students (53.2% boys; Mage = 13.54 years, SDage = 0.58) and their parents (29.6% fathers and 70.4% mothers; Mage = 44.75 years, SDage = 4.14 years) completed an online survey in May 2020 in Beijing, China. Results indicated that many parents (24.6%) experienced work-life conflicts amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings also showed that parent work-life conflict was negatively associated with youth academic engagement and mental health indirectly through parental mental health difficulties and parenting behavior (parental control, autonomy granting, and parental involvement). In addition, parental mental health difficulties had direct and indirect effects on youth adjustment via parenting behaviors, such that parental involvement and autonomy granting predicted greater academic engagement and covitality (co-occurrence of positive traits and positive mental health), whereas the parental control predicted youth mental health difficulties. Our findings extend prior research by examining the pathways linking parental work-life conflict to youth adjustment during COVID-19. Findings are discussed in terms of how to better support families and promote better youth academic engagement and well-being during COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Strengths and problems of families in contact with child protective services during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: The study investigates the dynamics within families in contact with child protective services in reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic as perceived by social workers. Based on the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response (FAAR) model, strengths and problems are outlined.&#x0D; Background: Following the first lockdown of public life in March 2020, concerns about children’s well-being have been raised. Practitioners and scientists alike worried that particularly children in families with multiple problems would suffer severe abuse and neglect. However, it remains unclear how these families have actually been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2.&#x0D; Method: Child protection caseworkers from 40 child and youth welfare authorities across Germany were interviewed twice via telephone. The first interview was conducted during summer 2020, and the second interview two months later. Caseworkers were questioned about their professional experience in their daily work since March 2020. Moreover, they provided information on the perceived effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on families in contact with child protective services.&#x0D; Results: The interviews were analyzed using content analyses. Six overall challenges for families were identified. Families reacted differently to these. The caseworkers reported problems in families like increased parental conflict, media use, and alcohol consumption during the first lockdown. Nevertheless in some families, the caseworkers also perceived there to be less stress and tension during the lockdown in March 2020 due to fewer school requirements. Furthermore, some families were able to establish routines, activate resources, and find solutions for problems on their own. At the time of the second interview, some families’ problems had increased, particularly regarding children’s difficulties at school due to insufficient homeschooling.&#x0D; Conclusion: The results show that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on child protection families are positive and negative. Some are resourceful in the face of adversities, and others show an aggravation of problems. The results are discussed in light of findings on family dynamics during the Covid-19 pandemic in other countries.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young adults experiencing dual family life after high-conflict divorce

Objective: This paper describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the family lives of young adults whose parents had been through a high-conflict divorce and the extent to which these 18-to-30-year-olds believed the COVID-19 measures accommodated for their family situation.&#x0D; Background: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on family lives has been described in recent literature but no attention has been paid to young adults experiencing parental conflict due to a divorce transition impasse.&#x0D; Method: Data from 24 in-depth interviews were collected in the Belgian province of Limburg using a semi-structured interview guide with open questions and analysed via Nvivo.&#x0D; Results: Frequency of contact with parents decreased, contact with parents living abroad became nearly impossible. Different interpretations of and approaches to the rules led to frustration and quarrelling in families. The quality of the relationship with parents changed, often in a negative way. Respondents indicated that to their opinion due consideration had not been given to the situation of young adults with divorced parents.&#x0D; Conclusion: In order to adequately develop COVID-19 rules that are tailored to a wide range of families, with attention to the most vulnerable ones, we recommend that policy makers define a family by using a “feeling family paradigm” rather than defining a family in terms of a household and that they include a multi-actor and multi-disciplinary perspective in the decision-making processes.

Family risk factors and buffering factors for child internalizing and externalizing problems

Detrimental effects of adverse family conditions for children's wellbeing are well-documented, but little is known about the impact of specific risk factors, or about potential protective factors that buffer the effects of family risk factors on negative development. We investigated the impact of five important family risk factors (e.g., parental conflict) on internalizing and externalizing problems and the potential buffering effects of peer acceptance and academic skills at two measurement points two years apart in 1195 7- to 10-year-olds (T1: MAge = 8.54). Latent-change models showed that increases in risk factors over the two years predicted increasing internalizing and externalizing problems. Parental conflict was the most impactful risk factor, although peer acceptance and academic skills showed some buffering effects. The results highlight the necessity of investigating cumulative and single risk factors, specifically interparental conflict, and emphasize the need to strengthen children's internal and social resources to buffer the effects of adverse family conditions.

Sociodemographic differences in youth alcohol sipping's nomological network.

Previous research has established that certain features of personality (e.g., impulsivity), psychopathology (e.g., impulsivity, mood disorder, thought disorder), and contextual factors (e.g., parenting, parental alcohol use) are associated with an increased likelihood of having sipped alcohol in youth, and substance involvement and problems in adolescence and adulthood. What is less clear from the existing literature is whether well-established risk factors of substance use are consistent across sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, religious affiliation, income, parental education). We used a large, community sample of 9- and 10-year-olds (N=11,872; 53% female) to examine whether various sociodemographic characteristics moderate the associations between sipping behavior and its various well-established correlates (e.g., impulsivity, behavioral inhibition and activation, psychopathology, parenting, and family conflict). There were small mean level differences in sipping across sociodemographic characteristics. Across sociodemographic characteristics, however, sipping was fairly uniformly associated with youth-reported impulsivity, behavioral activation, prodromal psychosis symptoms, mood and externalizing disorder diagnoses, family environment, and parental alcohol consumption indices. Effects were sometimes slightly more pronounced among groups for which alcohol consumption is relatively nonnormative: Sipping among female youth was slightly more associated with thought disorder psychopathology than among male youth (D=0.07), and was slightly more associated with some aspects of psychopathology and impulsivity for Black youth than White and Hispanic youth (Ds were 0.07 and 0.09). Broadly, our findings suggest that the psychosocial correlates of precocious alcohol use are relatively consistent across sociodemographic factors.

Family counselors’ professional assessments when children are at risk due to enduring parental conflicts

The aim of this article is to explore Norwegian family counselors´ professional assessments when children are at potential risk due to enduring parental disputes. These disputes present complex clinical challenges and are often considered being in a gray area of whether the situation is a family matter or if there is a need for the assessment of child welfare services. The analysis builds on a survey and focus group interviews. Findings from this study show that family counselors are concerned for children involved in interparental conflicts, but this concern does not necessarily manifest in their reporting to the child welfare services. Rather, our findings show that the family counselors prefer to utilize their own services and that of other stakeholders in such situations. Enduring conflicts present significant challenges relating to the assessments and decisions of what is the most adequate help for the unique child and family. The article points toward professional thresholds for intervention and risk of child maladjustment as a challenging aspect of practice in high-conflict cases.

Promoting parenting in home visiting: A CACE analysis of Family Foundations.

This randomized trial tested the impact of an established prevention program for first-time parents, Family Foundations, adapted for low-income mothers and fathers as a series of sessions provided to couples in their homes. To assess program impact, we recruited and randomly assigned a sample of 150 low-income adult mother-father dyads (not necessarily still romantically involved, cohabiting, or married) during pregnancy or shortly after birth. The randomly assigned intervention families participated in Family Foundations Home Visiting (FFHV), consisting of 11 in-home sessions focusing on parental cooperation, collaboration, and conflict management to support children's development. Complier average causal effect (CACE) analysis was used to examine program impact on parental adjustment and parenting for families completing nine or more program sessions. Results indicated significant positive complier effects for mothers' and fathers' reports of depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, coping with stress, and psychological aggression by fathers toward mothers at post-intervention, controlling for pre-intervention scores. Intervention parents also demonstrated higher levels of affection, engagement, and sensitivity with the infant based on observer coding of videotaped parent-child interactions. These findings indicate that the focus of Family Foundations on enhancing coparenting offers similar benefits for low-income parents and children who are compliers as has the group-format Family Foundations (FF) version in trials with universal samples of cohabiting or married parents. Results are discussed in terms of implications for home visiting, engaging fathers, and optimizing child outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Parental support, marital conflict, and stress as predictors of depressive symptoms among African American adolescents.

Given the increase of depressive symptoms among adolescents, it is essential to investigate familial and temperamental correlates of depressive symptoms such as parental support, marital conflict, and stress. Thus, using a cross-sectional design, the current study examined whether parental support, marital conflict, and stress predicted depressive symptoms. Then, using structural equation modeling, this study tested whether stress mediated the relationships among parental support, marital conflict, and depressive symptoms among African American adolescents while controlling for sex (N = 883). Results suggest that maternal support negatively related to depressive symptoms in contrast to stress and marital conflict. However, paternal support and sex were not statistically associated with depressive symptoms. Mediation results suggest that stress explained the relationships among parental support, marital conflict, and depressive symptoms. Family therapy and depression reduction implications are discussed.

Adolescents’ problematic internet use in secondary school students in Lagos, Nigeria: A preliminary examination of individual and family-based predictors and consequences

With the rise of internet accessibility and usage among adolescents, we need to better understand the ways in which family experiences may be impacting problematic internet usage (PIU) for adolescents. Using data collected at two time points from a sample of adolescents (N = 741) enrolled in private secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria, we examine the roles of family and parental work experience factors on adolescent PIU and the ways in which this PIU may be associated with negative adolescent and family outcomes. Results suggest that PIU is positively associated with increased adolescent aggression (p = .008) and serves as a mechanism for the indirect positive relationship between parental monitoring of online activity and family satisfaction (p < .05). In addition, there are a variety of individual (quantity of internet usage, p < .001), family (family satisfaction, p < .001, and familialism, p < .001) and parental (parent-child attachment, p < .001, parental monitoring of online activity, p = .007, and low parental work-family conflict, p < .05) factors that are negatively related to PIU behaviors for adolescents.