COPING WITH INTERPARENTAL VERBAL CONFLICT BY CHILDREN EXPOSED TO SPOUSE ABUSE AND CHILDREN FROM NONVIOLENT HOMES

Children are distressed by parental conflict, but the influence of the conflict topic has rarely been studied, especially in relation to chi ldren's history of witnessing domestic conflict. Responses to three co nflict topics (money, child-related, political candidate) were examine d in two groups of 5 1/2-through 12-year-olds: 40 children who have wi tnessed spouse abuse and 72 children from nonviolent homes. Children l istened to taped scenarios (with accompanying drawings) of two parents engaged in one friendly and three angry interactions. Children report ed their feelings, intensity of feelings, and coping strategies. Child ren's emotional responses varied from sadness, to anger; to guilt depe nding on their age and the conflict topic. Primary control strategies for coping with family conflict (e.g., direct intervention) were favor ed for all. Boys from violent homes responded to certain simulated con flicts with more intense anger and sadness than other children. Result s emphasized children's sensitivity to different conflict topics and a dvance understanding of relations between a history of witnessing spou se abuse and child outcomes.