Psychological Development and Education ›› 2016, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (2): 246-256.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.02.14

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The Influence of Parental Divorce on Children and Adolescents' Mental Development: The Important Role of Inter-Parental Conflict

DENG Lin-yuan1, ZHAO Xinyu1, FANG Xiaoyi2   

  1. 1. Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875;
    2. Institute of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875
  • Online:2016-03-15 Published:2016-03-15

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Abstract: The influence of parental divorce on children and adolescents' development has attracted researchers' attention since 1970s.This paper reviewed and presented studies on this topic from three aspects:(1) the theoretical changes of relationship between parental divorce and their children's development, from severe and negative effects of parental divorce on children's development, to limited effects of parental divorce; (2) the process and mechanism of how parental divorce would influence children and adolescents' development:a lot of research revealed that inter-parental conflict was a more critical factor than divorce, while inter-parental conflict before divorce moderated the direction and magnitude of divorce effects, and inter-parental conflict as well as co-parenting after divorce influenced children and adolescents' development through the mediation of parent-child relationship and parenting behaviors; (3) the previous studies in this field had many clinical implications and inspired future research about how divorce influence children in China.

Key words: divorce, inter-parental conflict, children and adolescents, development

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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