The role of parents' conflicts in children's adjustment (self-confidence, aggression and mental health)

Dissertation for Master's Degree (M.A.) Orientation: General

Abstract:

The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the role of parental conflicts in children's adjustment (self-confidence, aggression, mental health). The statistical population of this research consists of middle school students. The sampling method of this research is random. The measurement tools include: parent-parent conflict resolution tactics scale questionnaire, aggression questionnaire, Rosenberg self-esteem questionnaire and general health questionnaire. The statistical analysis of the data was done using correlation matrix and regression analysis and using spss software. The research results showed that father's physical aggression conflict resolution tactic is a positive predictor of adolescent's physical aggression, anger and total aggression score. The conflict resolution tactic of verbal aggression was only a positive predictor of adolescent hostility, and fathers' reasoning tactic was a negative predictor of adolescent aggression (physical, anger). The conflict resolution tactic of father's physical aggression, father's verbal aggression, as well as the conflict resolution tactic of mother's verbal aggression are negative predictors of adolescent self-esteem. Mother's physical aggression conflict resolution tactic is a positive predictor of adolescent's general health. The conflict resolution tactic of mother's verbal aggression is a positive predictor of physical aggression, anger, hostility and the total score of adolescent aggression. Also, mother's physical conflict resolution tactic is a positive predictor of adolescent's physical aggression and anger. Finally, it was observed that there is a difference between the two groups of girls and boys in the variables of the research only in the dimension of physical aggression, which is in favor of the boys.

In general, the findings indicated that the use of destructive tactics by parents in the face of conflict with their spouses (such as verbal and physical aggression) has negative effects on the self-confidence, aggression, and mental health of adolescents, and constructive reasoning tactics have positive effects on these indicators of psychological adjustment.

Key words: parents' conflicts, children's adaptation, self-confidence, aggression, mental health

Introduction

The family is a primary and vital social institution that provides and guarantees both the health of the individual and the survival of society. No society can survive without a military to replace its members. The family provides a possibility through which replacement is realized. A person is influenced not only physically and biologically, but also emotionally, psychologically, and personally by the family. Because the family is a place where a person can prepare to assume social roles by completing his personality. The role of wife (being a wife or husband) is one of the roles that are assigned to people after the social act of marriage (Riahi et al., 1386:110).

In order for the family to perform its main functions well, it is necessary to have security and peace in it. The fact is that in the process of the family life cycle, issues and problems arise that deprive it of peace, even if only for a short time. These issues are related to the structures and functions of the family institution at the micro level and social structures at the macro level. Economic, social and cultural changes in societies affect the family institution (Ritzer [1] and George, 2004).

Family transformations have affected the behavior of its members. How power is divided in the family between husband and wife is related to the quality and happiness of the couple and the sense of fairness of power (Sabin [2], 2000). The changes in the family institution, despite its positive aspects, have increased the amount of conflicts among family members (Chafts [3], 2003). Opposition and conflict are inevitable in any relationship, including marriage. Despite parents' efforts to protect their children from the consequences of conflict, children face parental conflicts on a daily basis. Research has shown the relationship between a child's exposure to parental conflict and emotional (depression and anxiety) and behavioral (aggression and delinquency) problems in children (Davis and Cummings [4], 2001; Grich and Fincham [5], 2002). Parental conflict causes stress, fear and anger in children, and repeated exposure to conflict can lead to behavioral problems (Cummings and Davis, 2001) as well as physical health problems in children (Al-Sheikh, Harger and Whitson[6], 2001).Stressful life events are a potential threat to the health and healthy development of children and adolescents (Chikti and Toth [7], 2000). Marital conflict is one of the problems that children face in all parts of the world (Katz and Gutman [8], 2003).

Given that there is a degree of conflict between parents in many families today, the present research aims to investigate the impact of this conflict on children with regard to their adjustment (self-esteem, aggression and mental health parameters). In such a way that the results of this research can be used by family counselors and clinical counselors, and by evaluating the results of this issue, a positive step can be taken to increase the children's adjustment in order to investigate ways to reduce parental conflicts or reduce its impact on children.

This study is focused on the phenomenon of parental conflict and its effects on children, especially adjustment as what happens in the family. Since this issue exists in many Iranian families (Kar[9], 2002), it is important to investigate this issue.

1-2- Statement of the problem

The family has been transformed throughout history under the influence of various economic and social developments (Enait and Mowahed, 2013). These transformations have led to conflict in the mutual relations of family members, from mild to extreme situations such as violence. Some of these conflicts are related to factors outside the family and some of them are related to internal factors of the family. Of course, there is a mutual relationship between these two. Studies by different thinkers show that family conflicts are related to community conflicts (Dudley Grant[10], Hal Pern[11], Kaslow[12], Reis and others[13], 2004). Conflict in itself is a negative behavior and can affect the quality of relationships and have positive or negative consequences. Conflict may range from psychological to verbal or non-verbal actions and to physical violence, which harms another person (Galez [14], 1999). Some researchers believe that the higher the level of conflict in the family, the higher the probability and incidence of conflict. In these researches, conflict is considered as severe unmanaged conflict (Coleman and Strauss[15], 1998; Strauss, Glaz and Steinmetz[16], 1997; Warner[17], 1995).

Increasing the amount of family conflicts has a negative effect on the adjustment of its members (Rich-Terez and Martinez[18], 1999). Conflicts in the family create issues and problems at the individual, institutional and social levels. At the individual level, family members who are in conflict with each other lose their psychological balance, and behaviors such as aggression and depression may be seen in them. Although married people have better health on average than single people, but family conflicts may endanger people's health and lead to various physical and mental illnesses. Among 30% of married couples in the United States, physical aggression occurs, and in 10% of them, it leads to severe physical injuries (Fin Chum[19], 23:23). According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics in the United States, 3.5 million cases of family conflict occurred between 1998 and 2003, and more than 3 million American children between the ages of 3 and 17 witness conflict with their parents each year. Many studies have shown that when children witness a conflict between their parents and are victims of it, they have the highest degree of impact from this bitter event (Groves[20], 2002; Hornor[21], 2005; Mahoney and Campbell[22], 2000).

Unfortunately, official statistics in this field have not been published in Iran for several reasons, but there are unofficial statistics about domestic violence between spouses, most of these statistics It is at the disposal of non-governmental centers or a brief description of them is given on websites or conferences. Based on the article published by Amirhossein Kordavani (2018), on the website of the Attorney General of the country, on the topic of children and adolescents' reaction to domestic violence and the need to support them, he points out that there are no official statistics in this field in Iran, but since according to unofficial statistics, eight out of ten women are victims of violence, it can be estimated that between 60 and 70 percent of Iranian children witness this violence. These statistics show the importance of the discussion. It is not bad to point out that acts of force, which are characteristics of domestic violence, are often done through mistreatment of children.