Destructive Marital Conflict as a Risk Factor for Adjustment Problems in Adolescents: Differentiating the Causal Influence of Emotional Security and Attachment Security

Research indicates that marital conflict is a risk factor for the development of adjustment problems in adolescents. Guided by Attachment Theory and Emotional Security Theory, the purpose of this study is to examine the differential influence of marital conflict on the psychological processes of emotional security about family relations, emotional security about marital relations, and attachment security, which in turn will contribute to a refined understanding of how and why marital conflict leads to adjustment problems in adolescents. Three waves of data on community families were drawn from a larger, longitudinal basic research study on family functioning. Results revealed that emotional insecurity about marital relations (T2) significantly mediated the link between marital conflict (T1) and adolescent’s externalizing behavior problems (T3). Significant mediation effects were not found for emotional insecurity about family relations or parent-child attachment insecurity. Implications for intervention are discussed.