Parental Boundary Dissolution and Young Adults’ Romantic Relationships

Abstract

Parental boundary dissolution is a term used to describe a parent-child relationship structure wherein a parent breaches age-appropriate and relationship-appropriate boundaries with their child. The current study aimed to examine the association of boundary dissolution with negative indicators of sexual and romantic relationship health in young adulthood, the moderating role of family risk factors and other indicators of parent-child relationship quality, as well as the mediating role of emotion regulation between boundary dissolution and negative sexual and romantic relationship outcomes. Results did not support hypotheses. However, emotion regulation emerged as a significant correlate of sexual and relationship health, as were race and household income. The findings demonstrate that self-report measures may not be adequate measurements of boundary dissolution and that more research needs to be done to address cultural differences in family structure.