Types and intensity of postdivorce conflicts, the exercise of coparenting and its consequences on children

Marital breakup is considered as one of the most stressful events in the life of any family, being possible to appear numerous conflicts until reaching the new family restructuring. It has been previously noted that negative effects of divorce on children are mainly determined by the interparental conflict. Therefore, this study was aimed to identify the types and intensity of postdivorce conflicts, along with the exercise of coparenting after the divorce, examining their effects on children's emotional, behavioural and academic adjustment. In this study, a total of 317 fields of the Family Meeting Point of Jaen (Spain), from 2009 to 2016, were analysed. From these fields, children's emotional, behavioural and academic variables were examined, together with interparental variables. The results showed a higher number of cases of children with emotional, behavioural, and academic maladjustment when there are financial and custody postdivorce conflicts, when there is a moderate and high intensity of parental conflicts after the divorce, and in absence of the exercise of postdivorce coparenting between the parents. This study highlights the need to implement prevention and intervention programs with the parents to ensure an appropriate management of postdivorce conflicts.