Marital conflict and adolescent outcomes: A cross-ethnic group comparison of Latino and European American youth

Available research indicates a link between marital conflict and youth outcomes; however, relatively few studies examine these relationships in Latinos, the largest U.S. ethnic group. The present study examines this relationship in both Latino and European American families. Self-report data measuring externalizing and internalizing youth behaviors, along with overt and covert marital conflict, were used in analyses of 788 Latino and 751 European American adolescents. Results support current literature indicating a strong link between marital conflict and youth outcomes, regardless of ethnic group. These associations are similarly related for the differential effects of overt and covert marital conflict on externalizing and internalizing behaviors. However, overt conflict was significantly more predictive of internalizing behaviors than covert conflict. These results yield valuable information for clinical intervention and further research.

Research Highlights
► Links between marital conflict and youth outcomes do not differ significantly by ethnicity.
► Overt conflict is significantly related to both outcomes for Latino and Euro-American youth.
► Covert conflict is related to internalizing problems for Latino and Euro-American youth.
► Clinicians should help parents reduce conflict as a means to help reduce youth problem behaviors.