Family Conflict, Emotional Security, and Child Development: Translating Research Findings into a Prevention Program for Community Families

Abstract

The social problem posed by family conflict to the physical and psychological health and well-being of children, parents, and underlying family relationships is a cause for concern. Inter-parental and parent-child conflict are linked with children's behavioral, emotional, social, academic, and health problems, with children's risk particularly elevated in distressed marriages. Supported by the promise of brief psycho-educational programs (e.g., Halford et al. in Journal of Family Psychology 22:497-505, 2008; Sanders in Journal of Family Psychology 22:506-517, 2008), the present paper presents the development and evaluation of a prevention program for community families with children, concerned with family-wide conflict and relationships, and building on Emotional Security Theory (Davies and Cummings in Psychological Bulletin 116:387-411, 1994). This program uniquely focuses on translating research and theory in this area into brief, engaging programs for community families to improve conflict and emotional security for the sake of the children. Evaluation is based on multi-domain and multi-method assessments of family-wide and child outcomes in the context of a randomized control design. A series of studies are briefly described in the programmatic development of a prevention program for conflict and emotional security for community families, culminating in a program for family-wide conflict and emotional security for families with adolescents. With regard to this ongoing program, evidence is presented at the post-test for improvements in family-wide functioning, consideration of the relative benefits for different groups within the community, and preliminary support for the theoretical bases for program outcomes.

Psychology – Child Emotions The Link between Inter-Parental Conflict and Health Emotional Development of Children

“…Despite the fact that numerous attempts have been made to create programs that support parents, couples and/or children, few of these programs have actually been subject to rigorous or systematic evaluation [6]. As well, the theoretical and empirical basis for programs that are developed often goes unidentified or untested, meaning that researchers are left to question which programs are working well and why.…”

“…As well, the theoretical and empirical basis for programs that are developed often goes unidentified or untested, meaning that researchers are left to question which programs are working well and why. Cummings [6] identify the importance of using a transnational research approach for the creation and evaluation of programs that explicitly seek to translate research findings into effective practice. Cummings [6] developed a program based on Davies and Cummings Emotional Security Theory (EST) that utilizes a family-wide model for understanding the effects of inter-parental conflict on children.…”

“…Cummings [6] identify the importance of using a transnational research approach for the creation and evaluation of programs that explicitly seek to translate research findings into effective practice. Cummings [6] developed a program based on Davies and Cummings Emotional Security Theory (EST) that utilizes a family-wide model for understanding the effects of inter-parental conflict on children. Such programs that have a wider definition of inter-parental conflict and focus on the family more holistically have shown incredible promise for the future.…”

“…Inter-parental conflict has been found to be highest for households with children who are under the age of five years [3]. Inter-parental and parentchild conflicts have found to negatively impact children across all ages in terms of emotional, social, academic and health problems, and children's risk becomes particularly high when parents are involved in a highly distressed marriage [6].…”

“…For instance, the effect size for conflict that is expressed overly is nearly twice the size of effect for conflict that is expressed covertly. Overt conflict can be defined as conflict that is expressed in terms of hostile and aggressive behaviour, while covert conflict is expressed indirectly [6]. Such differences indicate that parental management of conflict could be more important than when and how often conflict actually occurs [2].…”