Earlier marital conflict and later adolescents’ delinquency and aggression based on personality types: A longitudinal study

Abstract

This study examined the moderating role of personality types on the association between earlier marital conflict and later adolescent aggression and delinquency. Five years of longitudinal data of 310 Dutch middle-school adolescents (M age =13.22) were collected from the Conflict and Management of Relationship study (CONAMORE). Adolescents completed questionnaires about aggression, delinquency and personality, mothers about conflicts with their partners. The association was tested using a multiple regression. Gender was a control variable. Results show that personality has a moderating effect on the association. Under-controlled adolescents show more delinquency than over-controllers and resilients after being exposed to marital conflict, whilst over-controlled adolescents show more aggression than under-controllers and resilients. Although these results are preliminary, it may be that some adolescents are more vulnerable for martial conflict than others. A practical implication of this study is to start an intervention programme for parents to minimalize their marital conflicts.