Young Adults' Relationship with Parents and Siblings

Abstract

The long-term effects of divorce on adult relationships with parents and siblings were examined. Several variables, in addition to marital status, were simultaneously explored: gender, pre-divorce and post-divorce conflict, parental remarriage, post-divorce living arrangements and age at time of separation. A sample of 207 young adults from divorced and intact families completed demographic questionnaires as well as measures of parental conflict, parent-child and sibling relationships. Sibling relationships were not affected by marital status, conflict, or age at time of parental separation. Marital conflict exerted an effect independent of divorce negatively affecting relationships with both parents. Relationships with fathers (especially daughters) deteriorated while relationships with mothers improved as a function of divorce. An explanation of the differential impact of divorce on mothers' and fathers' relationships is offered in terms of our findings with respect to post-divorce conflict, post-divorce living arrangements and parental remarriage.

Key Words:

• Adult children
• divorce
• parent-child relationships
• sibling relationships
• conflict
• post-divorce predictors