One
of the largest
predictors of divorce was therefore related to positive or negative reactions, with more positive couples having a low risk
of divorce and more negative couples having a
high risk
of divorce.
While
divorce itself places children at risk for various psychological difficulties, research has shown that the strongest
predictor of child maladjustment after
divorce is exposure to
high levels
of inter-parental conflict, particularly when the conflict is hostile, aggressive, poorly resolved, and focused on issues pertaining to the children.