Interparental Conflict and Emotional Insecurity in Children in Foster and Adoptive Care

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between interparental conflict, emotional insecurity, previous maltreatment experiences, and children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms in foster and adoptive families. Foster and adoptive parents (N = 147) living in a current intimate relationship with a partner and having a child aged 8 to 13 years completed questionnaires on interparental conflict, children’s emotional insecurity, prior maltreatment experiences, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Structural equation modeling revealed that emotional insecurity mediated the association between interparental conflict and youth internalizing symptoms. Contrary to the hypothesis, child maltreatment history did not influence the relationship between interparental conflict and emotional insecurity. Overall, findings support the applicability of Emotional Security Theory in non-biological caregiving context and strengthens the assumption that children carry over their past relationship experiences, including the lack of emotional security as reflected by an increased sensitization to parental conflict in the new family environment. Exposure to interparental conflict in new caregiving settings may further sensitize emotional insecurity. Implications for clinical interventions in foster and adoptive families are discussed.