Societal Costs of Parental Conflict: A Multi-Domain Analysis Including Potential Transgenerational Effects

This preregistered mixed-methods study investigates the societal costs of parental conflict across multiple domains and explores potential transgenerational effects. Drawing on family systems theory, developmental psychology, and socio-ecological models, the project examines how interparental conflict contributes to burdens on work productivity, education outcomes, health systems, economic structures, and family support services. Six research teams conduct complementary analyses using qualitative expert interviews (psychologists, educators, healthcare professionals, economists, sociologists, and legal specialists) and quantitative survey data from parents who have experienced different levels of interparental conflict. Qualitative data will be collected through semi-structured expert interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis, while quantitative measures include conflict intensity, family structure, sibling contact, well-being, and indicators of societal strain. Approximately 60–120 experts and 30–50 parents will participate. The study aims to identify cross-domain patterns of societal cost, highlight high-impact areas, and evaluate whether disadvantages associated with parental conflict extend into subsequent generations. Ethical procedures follow Leuphana University guidelines, including informed consent, anonymization, and secure data storage. Expected outcomes include an interdisciplinary synthesis of societal burdens, empirical evidence of long-term developmental and systemic consequences, and policy recommendations for improving family- and child-protection frameworks.