Marital Conflict of Chinese American Immigrant Couples: A Mediator of Socioeconomic Incorporation and Children’s Behavioral Problems

This study examined Chinese American immigrant couples’ marriage conflict, and the relations among socioeconomic incorporation, marital conflict, and their school-age children’s behavior problems. A total of 230 parents (81 % mothers, 19 % fathers) as the participating parent provided demographic and background information, rated their own marital conflict and their children’s behavioral problems. Findings indicated that: (a) the score of Chinese American immigrant couples’ marital conflict was low, child exposure to conflict was much lower than frequency of marital conflict; (b) marital conflict mediated the relation between socioeconomic incorporation and children’s behavioral problems. We found that frequency of marital conflict partially mediated the relationship between maternal education level and children’s internalizing problems; it also totally mediated the relationship between maternal education level and children’s externalizing problems; child exposure to conflict totally mediated the relationship between family estimated per capita income and children’s internalizing and externalizing problems. The results promote understanding of family processes that influence the relationships between family socioeconomic incorporation, marital conflict, and children’s behavioral problems among Chinese American immigrant families.