High-conflict custody disputes as perceived by young adults who were the child in dispute

Abstract

Divorce is a prevalent life-changing event for parents and children that may negatively impact children’s well-being. Parenting time arrangements are crucial for the lives of both children and parents; therefore, examining the influence on young adults who sometimes, as children, cannot speak or think about those influences is critical. The study’s main objective was to explore how young adults who were formerly “the child in dispute” position themselves in their narratives and how they construct their past experiences. Twenty young adults were interviewed about their past experiences and current perspectives on its outcomes. According to van Manen’s principles, the interviews were analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The three main themes that emerged were as follows: living under the shadow of parental conflict, coping strategies with the continuous conflict, and the professionals’ roles in the custody dispute.