The Impact of Household Conflict On Children

 Posted on November 29, 2013 in Divorce

One reason that spouses may hesitate to initiate divorce is because they are concerned about the potential impact on the children. Certainly, divorce can have a profound impact on the emotional well-being of children, but conflict within the house arising from tension in the marriage can also have a negative influence. In some cases, children of divorce are better off than those who watch their married parents fighting. Research from the Economic and Social Research Council shows that children can interpret conflict between their parents in different ways. Some children experience extreme emotional outbursts when they have difficulties coping with conflict, whereas others make it through relatively unscathed. The child's reaction depends on the nature of the conflict. If the words exchanged between two parents made a child feel concerned that the family would split up or caused the child to feel threatened, he or she would be more likely to experience emotional impacts like depression. To get to the root of the issue, it’s about how children understand problems in their parent’s relationship. A myriad of issues can affect a child’s mental well-being including maternal depression, poor parenting skills, and a relationship between parents that appears hostile. In some situations, this calls for parents to explore how they interact with one another and work on resolving disagreements in a different manner. For those individuals whose conflicts go above and beyond occasional arguments, separation or divorce might be considered. Although it will take some time for a child to get used to his or her parents being divorced, continuing to raise that child in a hostile atmosphere with a great deal of tension between parents is not a positive environment, either. Are you thinking about a divorce? You need to schedule an appointment with an Illinois family law attorney who can help you and your children through a tough time.