Marital Disruption and Accidents/Injuries Among Children

Abstract

A vast literature has examined the effects of marital disruption on child well-being, however medically attended childhood accidents/injuries have not been considered as an outcome. This article investigates this association as well as possible intervening pathways using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-linked mother-child file. Findings reveal that marital disruption decreases girls’ accidents/injuries. Boys are not directly affected. Parenting practices, childhood aggression, and precipitous drops in household income appear to do little to the relationship between marital disruption and childhood accidents/injuries for boys. For girls, however, the potential benefits of a marital disruption are suppressed until considering mother’s use of discipline and household income decline. Results are discussed in terms of stress theory and the effect of mother-daughter versus mother-son dynamics following marital disruption.