CONFLICT IN CHILDHOOD AND REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT

Belsky, Steinberg, and Draper (1991) predicted that early childhood st ress or conflict in the family environment would be associated with la te childhood behavioral symptoms, early puberty, and early, less discr iminate reproductive behavior. This report includes a review of previo us research and the results from a cross-sectional self-report survey of childhood family life and adolescent development in 380 secondary s chool students aged 16 to 19 from southern Italy. In women, more stres s in quality of family life throughout childhood (birth to age 11), mo re parental marital unhappiness throughout childhood (birth to age 11) , more conflict with mother throughout childhood (birth to age 11), mo re rejection from father throughout childhood (birth to age 11), less emotional closeness to mother throughout childhood (birth to age 11), and more behavioral independence from mother or father in late childho od (age 8 to 11) were associated with earlier menarche. Earlier menarc he was associated with earlier age at dating men and older age of firs t sexual intercourse partner relative to own age at first intercourse. In men, more parental marital conflict in early childhood (birth to a ge 7),less emotional closeness to father throughout childhood (birth t o age 11), and more aggressiveness, unruliness, and externalizing symp toms (aggressiveness/unruliness) in late childhood (age 8 to 11) were associated with earlier spermarche. Earlier spermarche was associated with earlier age at dating women, more girlfriends, more likelihood of having had intercourse, and more intercourse partners. These results are considered together with alternative interpretations. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1997.