Post-Divorce Maternal Disclosure and the Father–Adolescent Relationship: Adolescent Emotional Autonomy and Inter-Reactivity as Moderators

Abstract

Utilizing longitudinal data from a project that examined the post-divorce lives of mothers and adolescents, we addressed two questions: (a) Does exposure to negative maternal disclosure about the ex-husband/father impact adolescents' perceptions of the father-adolescent relationship? and (b) Are adolescents with low emotional autonomy and high emotional inter-reactivity especially vulnerable? Participants were 154 adolescents, who ranged in age from 12 to 18 years at wave two. Although there was no significant bivariate association between maternal negative disclosure about the father and father-adolescent relationship quality, boys' level of emotional autonomy and emotional inter-reactivity moderated the association between maternal negative disclosure and the father-adolescent relationship. As hypothesized, boys with lower levels of emotional autonomy and higher levels of emotional inter-reactivity vis-à-vis their mothers perceived a lower quality of relationship with their father when their mother frequently disclosed negatively about the ex-husband/father. Research and applied implications are discussed.

Divorced mothers' self‐perception of their divorce‐related communication with their children

“…Custodial mothers had the ability and potential to share sensitive information about the father when communicating with their children.Yet, such communicational behaviour, although found in previous studies (Kenyon & Koerner 2008), was not reported by the research participants.…”

“…In order to insure the children's well-being and good relationship with their fathers, participants maintain a positive father image. This communication pattern contradicts the images of divorced mothers found in literature inciting their children against the father (Laakso 2004) or using their children as confidants and emotional aides (Kenyon & Koerner 2008).…”

“…Contrary to the majority of empirical studies, which refer to mothers as negatively influencing their children's view of their father by disclosing negative information/ feelings about him (e.g. Kenyon & Koerner 2008), the narratives provided by the participants revealed the mothers' efforts to avoid doing so. A good father image was maintained either by choosing to be silent (Naama) or by sending a clear message to the children that this information is 'off limits'.…”

“…Recent research suggests that parents' inappropriate disclosures about the divorce process can place children at risk psychologically and physically (Kenyon & Koerner 2008). Parental divorce disclosures become especially problematic when children are exposed to information that is age inappropriate, negatively balanced or hurtful towards the other parent (Afifi et al 2007;Kenyon & Koerner 2008). The literature is highly critical of divorcing parents who disclose 'too much', as well as of those who disclose 'too little' (Afifi et al 2007).…”

Perceived Parental Functioning, Self-Esteem, and Psychological Distress in Adults Whose Parents are Separated/Divorced

“…Literature has demonstrated that children and adolescents vary as to their vulnerability to the effects of marital conflict (Heatherington and Stanley-Hagan, 1999; Kenyon and Koerner, 2008). Negative life events – in which we might include also separation/divorce with high conflict – may trigger psychological stress which can also be influenced by individual factors, including self-esteem (Plancherel et al, 1997).…”