Parental Conflict

How Can Parental Conflict Hurt Children?

Every child needs to feel loved and cared for, but a family conflict can make them feel less secure about their family. The impact of parental conflict on children is different depending on the age, sex, and temperament of the kids. It is also affected by sibling relationships, attachment to their parents, mental health and substance use, and socioeconomic pressure.

parent's relationship

 

When can this happen?

This is particularly true when the parent’s relationship has been strained for a long time or they haven’t been able to resolve their differences on their own. These conflicts can lead to a wide range of problems in the family, including aggression and anger, disobedience, substance abuse, theft, stealing, and more.

What effects can it have?

When parents fight in front of their kids, it can make them worry that their parents will not be able to provide them with the food, shelter, emotional support, and love they need. Children also worry that they have done something wrong to upset their parents, even if the fight has nothing to do with them. There is more to it, as listed below:

Disruption of brain development in the early ages

Children who are exposed to harsh parental arguments from a young age may show signs of disrupted early brain development, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, conduct disorder, and other serious problems later in life (Cummings & Davies, 2002). The effects of inter-parental conflict can even persist into adulthood if unresolved issues still impact the kids in their parent’s relationship.

Distant them from their parents

It is also difficult for a child to understand and accept their parent’s behavior, especially when they see their parents using foul language, yelling at each other, or putting each other down. This may cause the kids to misinterpret their parents’ words and actions, which can negatively affect their social and psychological development.

What kinds of children are more prone to the effects?

Behavioral problems related to the conflict between parents are more likely to occur in children with one parent who is very strict and the other who is flexible in their parenting styles. When this happens, the children can get confused and may become defiant.

When this occurs, it can affect the way they behave at home and in school. It can result in the kids not listening to their teachers, stealing or using drugs, or doing other dangerous things like running away from home.

The problem is that when kids grow up with parents who regularly fight in front of them, they don’t learn how to handle conflict. They are more likely to repeat the same destructive behaviors and patterns in their own lives as adults.

kinds of children

What can we do?

The first step is to talk about what’s happening between the parents. Both parents need to realize that their disagreement is affecting their children and work together to find a solution that works for both parties.

Once the conflict is resolved, the children can heal and move on with their lives. But if they continue to feel stressed out and anxious about their parents’ conflict, it’s a good idea to seek help from a professional counselor.