Children of parents who fight a lot, yet stay married, experience more conflict in their own adult relationships than children of parents who get a divorce.
Children of parents who fight a lot, yet stay married, experience more conflict in their own adult relationships than children of parents who get a divorce. “The basic implication is, ‘Don’t stay together for the sake of the children if you’re in a high conflict marriage,’” says researcher Constance Gager of Montclair State University. Gager and her colleagues analysed the results of a national survey involving nearly 7,000 married couples and their children in the US. In 1987, parents were asked questions to gauge their level of conflict. Then, between 1992 and 1993, both parents and children were surveyed. The children, now adults aged 18 to 34, were again surveyed between 2001 and 2002. The participants were asked about their level of happiness and conflict in their current relationship. Children who grew up in high conflict families fared better in their adult relationships if their parents got divorced.
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