Divorcing the parents: The impact of adolescents' exposure to father-to-mother aggression on their perceptions of affinity with their parents

This study explores the impact of adolescents' exposure to father-to-mother aggression on their perceptions of affinity with their parents, using a probability sample of 1,014 Jewish Israeli youth between the ages of 13-18 years. It was hypothesized that adolescents' exposure to interparental violence reduces affinity, a notion that may explain one link between exposure to interparental violence and adolescent development. We theorized that when the affinity between adolescents and their parents decreases, the role of the latter as a developmental resource will be diminished. It was assumed that affinity is represented by two factors: parent-adolescent closeness and resemblance. Findings demonstrated a negative correlation between father-to-mother aggression and adolescents' perceptions of affinity with their family, so that as aggression increased, affinity decreased. Interparental aggression was found to have a significant and direct negative impact on closeness. Its impact on resemblance was negative and mediated by closeness. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in terms of developmental resources and opportunities.