The Negative Emotional and Behavioural Effects of Interparental Conflict on Children and Youth

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Recommended: Parent conflict and child development

Hypothesis

There are many negative short and long-term emotional and behavioural effects of witnessing parental conflict on children and youth.

Definition of Terms

Appraisals:

Angry/ambivalent pattern (noun): One of the three basic ways to cope with background anger.

Background anger (noun): A term in this context used to describe anger between adults.

Concerned pattern (noun): One of the three basic ways to cope with background anger. In this pattern is where children show signs of mild distress during exposure to anger between adult strangers.

Distress (noun): Extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain.

Mediate (verb): To indirectly relate to.

Self-reporting (verb): A child themselves explains how they felt during a certain situation or event.

Unresponsive pattern (noun): One of the three basic ways to cope with background anger.

Methodology

To find credible information on the negative emotional and behavioural effects of exposure to constant parental conflict on children and youth, I used many methods. My first resource was the Internet. Here I first looked into the reliable databases recommended by my school. I then went to the Toronto Public Library Website. Here I found websites recommended at school along with a few others. Some of them provided me better access to the websites already provided by the school. Others provided access into otherwise restricted websites or pieces of information. Otherwise helping me by providing me with websites that I then used to get into the restricted websites or obtain restriction information. I also searched websites I was familiar with that I knew were credible. I used Google to filter my search results so that only specific websites and pages would come up with my info...

... middle of paper ...

...ily Dispute and Resolution E. Mark Cummings and Patrick Davies

Reputable Website Articles or Information

Crowe, M. (2013). Parental Conflicts & Their Damaging Effects on Children. Retrieval from http://www.livestrong.com/article/513540-parental-conflicts-their-damaging-effects-on-children/#ixzz2mpepJynV

FANSELOW-BROWN, P. (2011, July 14). Parental conflict harmful to children. Press, The. p. GL3.

New York Hospital Queens. (2014). Lasting Effects of Parents' Squabbles. New York Hospital Queens. Retrieved from: http://www.nyhq.org/diw/Content.asp?PageID=DIW010480

Sedacca, R. (2010, April 18). (2010) Parental Discord, Not Divorce, Most Damages Children. Basil & Spice.

Reputable Newspaper and Magazine Article

Gordon, A. (2012, April 19). High conflict between parents affects kids’ learning and future health. Toronto Star.

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