The present study examined how marital conflict may compromise
parenting by identifying interdependencies across marital and
parent–child subsystems in a sample of 86 two-parent families
with a child aged 9–13. The study used direct observation of
three family discussions to examine interdependencies across family
subsystems. The study also assessed whether a history of
husband-to-wife aggression strengthened interdependencies. Overall,
families with husband-to-wife aggression showed a negative tone that
pervaded throughout the family. Consistent with theories about
physically aggressive men tending to withdraw from conflict, fathers
who had engaged in husband-to-wife aggression showed an association
between marital hostilities and lower levels of empathy toward their
children. Consistent with stress theories, women who had been exposed
to husband-to-wife aggression showed a link between marital hostilities
and negative affect when interacting with their children. These
findings illustrate how a history of exposure to marital aggression can
create a family environment of multiple risks for children. For
children in families with prior marital aggression, ongoing marital
hostilities can be linked to the additional risk of erosions in
parental support.This study was
partially supported by a grant from the David & Lucile Packard
Foundation, NIMH Grants R01MH36595 and F31MH10947, NICHD Grant
K23HD041428, and a California State University, Fullerton, Junior
Faculty Research Grant. We are grateful to our USC Family Studies
Center colleagues who helped collect these data, to the dedicated
groups of coders, and to the families who participated in the
study.