The Influence of Interparental Conflict and Violence on Parenting and Parent-Child Relationships

This conceptual review summarizes two decades of research on conflict management behaviors and their implications for family functioning. We review the accumulated research on the impact of three common conflict resolution strategies - destructive interparental conflict, constructive interparental conflict, and intimate partner violence - on parenting and parent-child relationships, including child abuse. Our review is based on published peer-reviewed articles that include families with minor children of various ethnic and racial compositions and diverse family forms. We also provide a brief overview of the literature covering correlates of specific conflict management behaviors and comment on the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of intervention programs that focus on improving family well-being. We conclude with suggestions for future research.