High-Conflict Divorce

Janet R. Johnston

Abstract

This article reviews available research studies of high-conflict divorce and its effects on children. Interparental conflict after divorce (defined as verbal and physical aggression, overt hostility, and distrust) and the primary parent's emotional distress are jointly predictive of more problematic parent-child relationships and greater child emotional and behavioral maladjustment. As a group, children of high-conflict divorce as defined above, especially boys, are two to four times more likely to be clinically disturbed in emotions and behavior compared with national norms. Court-ordered joint physical custody and frequent visitation arrangements in high-conflict divorce tend to be associated with poorer child outcomes, especially for girls. Types of intervention programs and social policy appropriate for these kinds of families are presented.

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High-Conflict Divorce (446K) [download]

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IN THIS ARTICLE

·	Introduction
·	Definitional Problems
·	Incidence of High-Conflict Divorce and Associated Factors
·	A Theoretical Model Predicting High-Conflict Divorce
·	Children's Adjustment to Divorce-Related Conflict
·	Conflict Resolution Procedures and Programs
·	Implications for Social Policy
·	End Notes

FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure 1 - A Model of Factors Predicting High-Conflict Divorce
Box 1 - Case Illustration
Table 1 - Some Standardized Measures Used in Studies

Life-Span Adjustment of Children to Their Parents' Divorce

Paul R. Amato

Abstract

Children who experience parental divorce, compared with children in continuously intact two-parent families, exhibit more conduct problems, more symptoms of psychological maladjustment, lower academic achievement, more social difficulties, and poorer self-concepts. Similarly, adults who experienced parental divorce as children, compared with adults raised in continuously intact two-parent families, score lower on a variety of indicators of psychological, interpersonal, and socioeconomic well-being.

However, the overall group differences between offspring from divorced and intact families are small, with considerable diversity existing in children's reactions to divorce. Children's adjustment to divorce depends on several factors, including the amount and quality of contact with noncustodial parents, the custodial parents' psychological adjustment and parenting skills, the level of interparental conflict that precedes and follows divorce, the degree of economic hardship to which children are exposed, and the number of stressful life events that accompany and follow divorce. These factors can be used as guides to assess the probable impact of various legal and therapeutic interventions to improve the well-being of children of divorce.

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Life-Span Admustment of Children (607K) [download]

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IN THIS ARTICLE

·	Introduction
·	How Do Researchers Study Children and Divorce?
·	How Do Children of Divorce Differ from Other Children?
·	Why Does Divorce Lower Children's Well-Being?
·	What Interventions Might Benefit Children of Divorce?
·	What Directions Should Future Research Take?
·	End Notes

FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure 1 - Typical Distribution of Well-Being Scores

The Determination of Child Custody

Joan B. Kelly

Abstract

This article reviews briefly the history of child custody decision making and describes current custodial arrangements in the United States. It examines both the manner in which parents and courts make decisions regarding custody and access, and the changes in visiting patterns in recent decades. The author discusses the impact of reforms in the law and the implementation of newer dispute resolution and educational interventions, and then makes recommendations for policy and practice.

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The Determination of Child Custody (396K) [download]

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IN THIS ARTICLE

·	Introduction
·	Custody Decision Making in Historical Context
·	Type and Incidence of Custody Arrangements
·	How Are Custody Arrangements Decided?
·	Influences on Decision Making
·	Factors Considered in Custody Determinations
·	Access as a Primary Factor in Custody Determinations
·	Specificity and Modifiability of Custody and Access Orders
·	Policy Recommendations in Custody Determinations
·	Judicial Education
·	The Most Appropriate Standard
·	Conclusions
·	End Notes

FIGURES AND TABLES

Table 1 - Types of Custody Arrangements