It is normal for couples to argue, but it how they argue that affects children externally and internally.
Children internalise how their parents navigate through conflict and take these patterns into their adult relationships.
Research has shown Interparental conflict disturbances in child sleep patterns are believed to be caused by the impact of family stress on neurobiological functioning. Interparental conflict has been shown to predict concurrent and subsequent child sleep problems.
Research also shows children experiencing Interparental conflict exhibit persistent aggression developmentally inappropriate for their age and is associated with a range of long-term negative outcomes such as academic failure, substance abuse, peer victimization, and high levels of depression and future intimate partner violence.
Children experiencing Interparental conflict also withdraw, and show signs of inhibitions, fearfulness, sadness, shyness, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and suicidality.
Interparental conflict has also been tied to deficits in children’s academic performance.
Children from high conflict households show lower scores for Math, language, verbal and nonverbal school ability scales.
Interparental conflict also affects a child’s social and interpersonal skills, and problem solving abilities.
Interparental conflict is associated with increased parent- child conflict, hostile relationships with siblings, elevated conflict with peers during primary and secondary school, poor quality romantic relationships in adolescence, and elevated rates of future relationship breakdown and intimate partner violence.
Interparental conflict also impacts risky behaviours in children linked to physical health outcomes such as smoking and substance abuse and early sexual activity.
Interparental conflict also sets the stage for future perpetration of relationship violence, also as a victim of partner violence in romantic relationships.
If you are experiencing high levels of conflict in your relationship and would like to take away the tools to communicate in a healthy way, click on the link below for a booking today.
