Marital conflict, parent-child relationships, and child adjustment: Does gender matter?

Children's perceptions of interparental conflict, of parent-child relations, and measures of child adjustment were examined in a single theoretical model to explore the role of parent and child gender in these associations. The sample was comprised of 169 6th and 7th grade children. Marital conflict affected child adjustment both directly and indirectly through parent-child relationships. Marital conflict negatively impacted perceptions of father-child relationships after controlling for the effect of marital conflict on mother-child relationships. Perceptions of interparental conflict were more strongly associated with negative mother-son relationships compared to same-gender dyads. Results also indicated that when children are aware of marital conflict, negative interactions with their opposite-sex parent may be particularly harmful.