The Effect of Conflict Resolution Training on Children’s Behavioral Problems in Shiraz, Southern Iran: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND There is evidence that marital problems can contribute to child behavior problems. In fact, the way that parents solve their conflicts, such as aggression, physical violence, and poor communication skills, can eventually culminate in aggression and emotional problems in children. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of conflict resolution training on children's behavioral problems in a sample of Iranian couples. METHODS This randomized controlled trial study was carried out on the couples who referred to counseling centers in Shiraz, Iran. In this study, 56 couples were selected through convenience sampling and assigned to an intervention and a control group. The intervention group received 10 sessions of communication skills training. All the participants filled out conflict resolution questionnaire and Child Behavior Problem Checklist (CBCL). To analyze the data we used the SPSS statistical software (version 16), using repeated measurement test, paired t-test, and independent t test. RESULTS In this study, no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups regarding the demographic characteristics. Also, no significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding the mean score of child behavior problems. Besides, a significant difference was found in the intervention group's mean score of marital conflict in post-test compared to the pre-test; however, no such trend was observed in the control group. CONCLUSION Conflict resolution skill training was effective in reducing marital conflict. Also, it showed a slight reduction in the score of child behavior problems after the intervention. But this reduction wasn't statisticaly significant. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER IRCT201109112812N2.