Associations of Parental Infidelity with Child Outcomes: An Overview of Findings

Voiceover

Presenter(s)

Natalie Brehm

Abstract or Description

Infidelity is generally recognized as a life-altering event for couples and the family systems built around them. Much of the research and therapeutic focus has been on how the couple and the individuals within it may be impacted by infidelity, but little has been done to compile evidence and draw conclusions about potential differences found for children whose parents have engaged in infidelity and how this can be addressed in therapy. Therefore, I sought to summarize the literature that has described potential connections between parental infidelity and child outcomes. In order to conduct this research, I thoroughly searched and evaluated literature surrounding the topic to draw conclusions. Specifically, I reviewed literature regarding parental infidelity and the likelihood that a child will grow up to commit infidelity themselves or have disruptions in their mental well-being, attachment, or trust. The findings of this project illustrate that there are long-term outcomes for children related to parental infidelity, which further sheds light on the great importance of continued research and tailored therapeutic methods being available for children in such situations in order to better prevent these outcomes.