Parenting behaviors antecedents: the role of the parental conflicts

Abstract

The objetive of the research was to analyze the impact that parental conflicts can have on the rearing practices with children. In addition, this possible relationship is studied in the case of mothers and fathers, and according to the sex of the children. Participants were college students, 333 male and 333 female, who answered a questionnaire on parental conflicts (OPS; Porter O’Leary, 1988) and Supple’set al. (2004) Parenting Practices Questionnaire. The results confirmed the significant relationship between couple conflicts and parenting behaviors. Total conflicts score was significantly related to the six dimensions of parenting used with daughters by fathers and mothers. In the case of children, however, conflicts were related to all dimensions of parenting of the father, and only two of the mother. Specific conflicts due to parenting had equal impact on the levels of support and autonomy maintained by fathers and mothers with daughters, as well as the use of negative parenting practices. However, in the case of the sons, conflicts predicted the negative practices of both parents, but only the dimensions of positive parenting of the father were resented. Finally, more intense conflicts (verbal aggressions score) were strongly associated with a lower use by mothers and fathers of positive parenting practices with daughters, as well as with the increased use by both of them of negative methods. However, in the case of the sons it was only associated with the use of negative parenting methods by the father.

Keywords

• prácticas de crianza
• conflictos entre los padres