This study examined the specific relations and processes underlying the association between marital disturbance and child maladjustment. Data were gathered on 51 9- through 12-year-olds, along with their parents, on specific dimensions of marital discord, children's coping responses to conflict, and child adjustment. Parent reports, child reports and interviews, and children's responses to videotaped scenes of inter-adult conflict provided data for analysis. It was found that children who perceived higher levels of marital conflict: (1) tended to espouse more avoidant coping strategies; (2) felt less competent about their abilities to intervene in the conflict and to make themselves feel better; and (3) were more likely to experience behavior problems than were those from low-conflict homes. Furthermore, parents' reports of marital adjustment were found to be a poor predictor of child behavior problems, despite their frequent use in the literature. (Author/MDM)