With the very high divorce rates in America, one would assume that this is a beneficial solution to marital conflict. However, according to Janie Sarrazin and Francine Cyr (2007), research shows that “24 to 33% of families experiencing divorce continue to experience significant conflicts that can last up to two years after the marital separation” (p.78) . Despite the difficulties, many parents decide to stay together, “for the good of the children”. Some research has focused on comparing the effects of divorce with the effects of parental conflict on a child's well-being. As expected, the results indicate that divorce and marital conflict impact different areas of child development. The intensity and extent of the development effected depends to a large extent on the quality of the marriage; For children exposed to high levels of conflict, parental separation seems to have positive effects, whereas for children from low-conflict families, negative effects can be observed (Cyr, Sarrazin, 2007). Focusing specifically on marital quality and its effects on children's development, Paul Howes and Howard J. Markman (1989) examined the impacts of marital satisfaction, conflict, and communication in mothers and fathers before marriage and after the birth of a child. Relationship satisfaction, high levels of communication, low levels of conflict, and the ability to manage negative emotions may characterize high-quality, or “good,” marriages. High-quality marriages are associated with parents' ability to manage conflict-related negative emotions, linking marital quality to child development and functioning. High-quality marriages can lead to high attachment security and high sociability. At the other end of the spectrum is the lack of effect... middle of article ...... child quality and functioning: a longitudinal investigation. Child Development, 60(5), 1044-1051. Umberson, D., Williams, K., Powers, D.A., Liu, H., & Needham, B. (2005). Stress during childhood and adulthood: Effects on marital quality over time. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67(5), 1332-1347. Day, RD, Hair, E., Moore, K., Hadley, AM, Orthner, DK, Kaye, K. 2009. Parental marital quality and parent- adolescent relationship: effects on adolescent and young adult health outcomes. Marriage & Family Review, 45, 218-248Sarrazin, J. and Cyr, F. (2007). Parental conflicts and their harmful effects on children. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 47(1), 77-93. Siffert, A., Shwarz, B., Stutz, M. 2011. Marital conflict and young adolescents' self-evaluations: The role of parenting quality and young adolescents' evaluations. Journal of youth and adolescence. 41(6), 749-763