Destructive and Constructive Interparental Conflict, Parenting Stress, Unsupportive Parenting, and Children’s Insecurity: Examining Short-Term Longitudinal Dyadic Spillover and Crossover Process

Based on emotional security, stress, and spillover and crossover theories, this study aimed to examine the indirect pathways between destructive and constructive interparental conflict, parenting stress, unsupportive parenting, and child insecurity six months later. Using data from two time points beginning when Korean children (N = 159) were approximately 3–5 years old, two dual-mediation models of the relevant variables were constructed. The results indicate that destructive conflict is associated with higher levels of parenting stress, whereas constructive conflict is associated with lower levels of stress. Furthermore, mothers’ and fathers’ parenting stress influenced their own unsupportive parenting behaviors, which, in turn, influenced their children’s insecurity, suggesting a spillover effect. However, the crossover effect and mediation analyses provided partial support for various pathways of the hypotheses. By examining both destructive and constructive conflict, including both maternal and paternal variables, and examining not only spillover but also crossover effects, this study highlights that while constructive conflict may reduce parental stress and unsupportive parenting behaviors, the negative effects of destructive conflict may affect children more strongly. Particularly, by examining the spillover and crossover effects in the unique cultural context of Korean families, this study provides important insights into interparental conflict’s impact on child development.