Coparenting and child behavior in the context of divorce: A systematic review

Abstract

The quality of the coparental relationship after parental divorce significantly affects the parents-children relationship and the child's development. The objective of the study was to conduct a systematic review on the relationship between coparenting and child behavior in divorced families. The systematic review was conducted according to the methodological recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes (PRISMA). The searches were carried out in six national and international databases, using the words coparenting, divorce and child behavior, and similar terms, in Portuguese, English and Spanish. Eleven articles published between 2010 and June 2020 were included. The main results of the studies showed that coparental support after divorce favors more positive outcomes in child behavior. However, the existence of coparental conflict represents a risk factor for child behavioral problems, including in families in which coparental support and communication exist.