INFLUENCES OF FAMILY-STRUCTURE AND PARENTAL CONFLICT ON CHILDRENS WELL-BEING

Relative effects of membership in one of two family structures (marrie d-never divorced vs. divorced-not remarried) and interparental conflic t (high vs. low) on children's well-being (internalizing, externalizin g behavior and trouble with peers) are examined for a sample of 10- to 17-year-old children and their parents from the National Survey of Fa milies and Households (N = 618). Findings support the hypothesis that parental conflict influences children's well-being regardless of famil y structure. Children in high conflict families showed lower levels of well-being on all outcomes, but no well-being differences were found between family structure groups. Analyses of child gender indicated th at parental warmth toward the child mediated the relationship between conflict and well-being for girls. For boys, both conflict and parenta l warmth were directly related to well-being independently, implicatio ns of results for theory, research and policy are discussed.