Linking family functioning and child’s socioemotional behaviour: the role of coparenting

This study aims to explore the association between parents’ perception of family functioning and children’s difficulties and prosocial behaviour, and to test the mediating role of coparenting in this relationship. Participants were 324 Portuguese parents of children aged 3–9 years old. Results were calculated through the estimation of OLS regression-based models, controlling for respondent (child’s mother or father) and for child’s gender and age. Results showed that poor family functioning and more conflict in coparenting related to more difficulties and less prosocial behaviour in children. The associations between perceived family functioning and children’s difficulties and prosocial behaviour were mediated by coparenting. First, more family problems enhance children's difficulties indirectly through the increase of parenting conflict and the decrease of cooperation. Second, a poorer family functioning indirectly decreases the frequency of children’s prosocial behaviour through the increase of coparenting conflict. Practical implications for intervention with families with children are presented.