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Updated: Jul 25, 2026
08:09
Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Family conflict and children's internalizing and externalizing behavior: protective factors
D Formoso1, N A Gonzales, L S Aiken
1Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe 85282-1104, USA.
American Journal of Community Psychology
|June 3, 2000
Summary
Family conflict increases adolescent depression and conduct issues. Parental attachment and monitoring protect girls but worsen conduct problems for boys, highlighting gender-specific risks.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Family Studies
Background:
- Family conflict is a known risk factor for adolescent mental health issues.
- Protective factors like parental attachment and monitoring may mitigate negative outcomes.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if parental and peer attachment, and parental monitoring, buffer the effects of family conflict on adolescent depression and conduct problems.
- To examine gender and ethnic differences in the moderating effects of these protective factors.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 284 low-income, multiethnic adolescents was surveyed.
- Statistical analyses examined the moderating roles of attachment and monitoring in the relationship between family conflict and adolescent outcomes.
Main Results:
- Parental attachment and monitoring moderated the link between family conflict and conduct problems, but not depression.
- These moderating effects differed by gender: protective for girls, exacerbating for boys.
- Ethnicity did not significantly modify these relationships.
Conclusions:
- Parental attachment and monitoring can act as protective factors for girls facing family conflict.
- Conversely, these factors may increase conduct problems for boys in conflictual family environments.
- Findings underscore the importance of considering gender in interventions aimed at reducing the impact of family conflict on adolescents.
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