Joint Custody versus Sole Custody: New Results

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#333333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="03cdedc2ddualp.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D"><U><B>Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQs"><U><B>FAQs</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Dr. Silverman"><U><B>About Dr. Silverman</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Great links"><U><B>Great links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Mind Reader© archive"><U><B>The Mind Reader© archive</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="03d64643.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#666633" FACE="Times New Roman" ><B>Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D</B></FONT>    |     <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dr. Wade Silverman, Ph.D"><U>home</U></A></FONT></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> Joint Custody versus Sole Custody: New Results</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Joint Custody Versus Sole Custody: Some New Results</div> <div> We are beginning to understand the impact of child custody arrangements on parents and children. While there are a variety of dispositions in custody, we will confine our consideration to the two most frequent; joint custody and sole custody. In a recent study by Gilmore and Braser (2001) in <I>Law & Human Behavior</I>, they followed a random sample of 254 recently separated, but not divorced couples until two years post-divorce. They collected data on both predisposition variables and post-divorce variables. Their results point clearly to the benefits of joint custody over sole custody.</div> <div> For those families with joint custody, mothers described their children as having less impulsive behavior patterns if fathers had more visitation. Interestingly, mothers tended to repartner more frequently with the joint custody disposition. The amount of pre-decree conflict did not influence these results. Also, father compliance with child support arrangements was not related to custody disposition. The study did not show any benefits for sole custody disposition. Mother<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP TypographicSymbols" >=</FONT>s were not as happy with this arrangement, but this had no basis in fact. Not only were their children better off, but they too increased their likelihood of re-partnering. </div> <div> In summation, joint custody reduces children<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP TypographicSymbols" >=</FONT>s behavior problems, increases visitation on the part of the father, facilitates mother<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="WP TypographicSymbols" >=</FONT>s repartnering, and does not lead to increased conflict between the two parents. These results are valid irrespective of degree of pre-divorce conflicts. It appears that sole custody should be restricted to those atypical cases where one of the parents has proven to be neglectful or harmful to the child or children. Otherwise, joint custody increases the likelihood of psychologically healthier children, more concerned fathers, and more socially active mothers.</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>