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Data on the relation between marital turmoil (i.e., discord and divorce) and behavior problems in children are reviewed. It is concluded that a relation between the two domains docs exist. Several parameters of this relation are outlined, including type of marital turmoil, form of the child's behavioral response, sex differences, age effects, parental buffering, and effects of parental psychopathology. Conclusions drawn from this review are used to evaluate several broad etiological hypotheses about the effect of marital turmoil on children, and implications for the treatment of behavior problems in children from these families are discussed. Finally, interpretative and methodological refinements are suggested for future research.
Robert E. Emery (Fri,) studied this question.