MARITAL DISCORD IN INTACT FAMILIES - SEX-DIFFERENCES IN CHILD ADJUSTMENT

Sex differences in child adjustment in response to marital discord in intact families are reviewed. The global hypothesis that boys are more adversely affected than are girls is examined. Contrary to this hypothesis, the review reveals that in intact families maladjustment in boys is not always related to concurrent marital discord more than is maladjustment in girls. However, the association between marital discord and adjustment difficulties is stronger in boys than in girls when clinic samples are used, when family members are the only informants, and when interparental aggression is incorporated in the definition of marital discord. Findings must be interpreted cautiously given the conceptual and methodological flaws of the research.