LINKING ADOLESCENTS ’ PROBLEM BEHAVIORS AND PARENTS ’ DIVORCE PRONENESS

The present study examined the relationship between adolescents’ problem behaviors and parents ’ divorce proneness with a sample of 416 families. Over three years, participants completed measures of internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors, parental divorce proneness, and parental efficacy. Three hypotheses were examined. The first hypothesis examined the association between adolescents ’ problem behaviors and parents ’ divorce proneness. Controlling for initial levels of divorce proneness, the second hypothesis addressed whether adolescents ’ problem behaviors predicted changes in parents ’ divorce proneness over two and three years. The third hypothesis examined parental efficacy as a mediator of this relationship. Results of regression analyses indicated that adolescents ’ problem behaviors were related significantly to wives ’ reports of divorce proneness over two and three years. Controlling for initial levels of divorce proneness, adolescents ’ internalizing problem behaviors were related significantly to increases in wives ’ divorce proneness over two but not over three years. Adolescents ’ externalizing problem behaviors were related significantly to increases in wives ’ reports of divorce proneness over three years. Although parental efficacy did not mediate this relationship, indirect effects were found. Adolescents ’ problem behaviors were not related to husbands ’ divorce proneness