title: Childhood conduct problems are associated with increased partnership and parenting difficulties in adulthood.
abstract: This paper uses data from a sample of 337 parents studied at age 30 to examine the linkages between childhood conduct problems assessed at ages 7-9 and later partnership and parenting outcomes. The key findings of this study were: 1) increasing levels of childhood conduct problems were associated with increased risk of partnership difficulties, including relationship ambiguity, inter-partner conflict/violence and lower levels of relationship satisfaction; 2) increasing levels of childhood conduct problems were associated with increased risk of parenting difficulties, including over-reactivity, lax and inconsistent discipline, child physical punishment and lower levels of parental warmth and sensitivity. These findings were consistent across both parent reports and interviewer ratings, and in nearly all cases remained after extensive adjustment for confounding and selection bias. Study findings add to the growing body of evidence documenting the adverse consequences of early conduct problems for later adult interpersonal relationships and parenting behaviors.
authors: Canterbury Child Development Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, PB 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand. alessandra.raudino@canterbury.ac.nz
authors: Alessandra
authors: A
authors: Raudino
authors: Lianne J
authors: LJ
authors: Woodward
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Fergusson
authors: L John
authors: LJ
authors: Horwood
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*