Family Communication by Galvin Kathleen M. & Braithwaite Dawn O. & Bylund Carma L

Author:Galvin, Kathleen M. & Braithwaite, Dawn O. & Bylund, Carma L.
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781317347743
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2015-09-24T16:00:00+00:00

Conflict and Family Systems

When considering family conflict, it is important to remember that families act as systems, as discussed in Chapter 3. Because of their interdependence, a conflict between any two members of the family will affect other members. As we recall from Chapter 3, systems thinking focuses on the level of the group or family and not at the level of the individual. Canary and Canary (2013) stress that we understand conflict in a family system by focusing on the interaction between family members. Of the various subsystems in a family, the way in which marital conflict affects children has received the most attention. A review of 39 studies found that parents’ conflicts influence their parenting behaviors, consequently affecting their children (Krishnakumar & Buehler, 2000). These researchers explained that “the emotions and tensions aroused during negative marital interactions are carried over into parent-child interactions” (p. 30). For instance, parents who express high hostility within their marriage also use more harsh discipline with their children and show less sensitivity, support, and love to their children. Other researchers have found that when spouses have conflict one day, the likelihood that they will have tense interactions with their children the next day increases (Almeida, Wethington, & Chandler, 1999). Even infants have observable reactions to parental conflict (Du Rocher Schudlich, White, Felishchhauer, & Fitzgerald, 2011).

The effects of family conflict and the way in which parents communicate and manage conflict can have profound effects on children and their relationships with family members and others, particularly as they grow older and develop their own intimate relationships. A longitudinal study of parents and adolescents found that parents’ marital conflict resolution styles were related to conflict resolution styles between the parents and adolescents two years later (Van Doorn, Branje, & Meeus, 2007). A study of a racially diverse sample of families demonstrated that high levels of marital conflict in a family are related to both overt and relational aggression of young adolescents (Lindsey, Chambers, Frabutt, & Mackinnon-Lewis, 2009). In another study, Darling and colleagues (2008) found that parents who use more positive conflict behaviors and less negative conflict behaviors have adolescents who use similar patterns with their own romantic partners. Similarly, a study of college students in dating relationships revealed that students who perceived higher levels of verbal aggressiveness from their parents were more likely to report higher levels of involvement as instigators and recipients of violence in their dating relationships (Palazzolo, Roberto, & Babin, 2010). This finding was particularly strong for same-sex parent-child dyads, suggesting that the strongest role model of aggressive behavior for a son is his father and for a daughter is her mother. Finally, college students with secure attachment styles in their romantic relationships reported parents with lower verbal aggressive tendencies (Roberto, Carlyle, Goodall & Castle, 2009).

Conflict varies across family forms. Conflicting cohabiting couples are more likely to be abusive than dating couples of the same age. In fact, they experience conflict more often on a larger range of topics and are twice as abusive, particularly in longer-term relationships (Magdol, Moffitt, Capsi, & de Silva, 1998).

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