Most commonly, family conflict was caused by serious financial worries and debt, with one in five parents stating a squeeze on household budgets as the source of arguments. Other causes of conflict included disagreements over child discipline, sibling rivalry and redundancy or long-term unemployment of one or both parents.
More than half of respondents said they argue and shout during family conflicts. However, 10 per of parents said the conflict in their families involved physical fighting, with nearly one in ten parents confessing that possessions had been destroyed during a family row.
The report, entitled 'The Enemy Within', also highlights that children are overwhelmingly the victims of conflict, with more than 950,000 affected by domestic violence, either directly as victims or indirectly having witnessed violence.
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