Post-divorce visitation of minor children; development of a questionnaire

Abstract

The present descriptive study was broadly concerned about divorces which have an impact on minor children. It was intended to build on the previous research of Griffith, Hack, Murphy, Wieman, Williams, Van Lydegraf & Glaudin (1970) in describing the relationships between parents and children after divorce. It was the objective of the present research team to come closer to the goal of selecting a representative sample of divorced parents than was possible previously. Moreover, an attempt was made to develop a highly structured questionnaire and interview schedule growing out of the earlier experience with semi-structured interviews. Data to be collected in the present study were to be much more specific and much less impressionistic. Although it was considered desirable to obtain a general picture of the family dissolution as early in the divorce process as possible, special consideration was given to issues pertaining to the visiting relationship of the minor child and the non-custodial parent. In addition, the present research not only intended to gather descriptive content about divorcing parents and their children, but to give primary emphasis to assessing the reliability of the findings. To recapitulate, the purpose of this study focused on the following immediate goals: 1) To sample a representative group of divorcing parents of minor children early in the divorce process. 2) To construct a highly-structured questionnaire which would describe divorcing parents, their relationship, attitudes, visiting arrangements and the adjustment of the minor children. 3) To determine the reliability of data gathered by means of a mailed questionnaire which taps this content.