Nonresident Parents Research Articles

A Qualitative Exploration of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Parents’ Experiences of Parental Alienation in the United Kingdom

In the aftermath of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it has been highlighted how measures necessary to fight the disease inadvertently exacerbated family violence and placed strain on the judicial system. Across the four countries within the United Kingdom, delays were, and still are, particularly prevalent in family law proceedings, partly due to new breaches in child arrangement orders associated with the pandemic lockdown. The present study therefore examined the experiences of nonresident parents (NRPs) who self-identified as targets of behaviors representative of parental alienation (PA) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Using an online survey, 76 nonresidential parents’ responses (92% male;Mage= 45.1 years of age; standard deviation = 7.9) were thematically analyzed. Several themes emerged, including (a) experiences of PA (i.e., risks for children and risks for parents), (b) intimate partner violence (i.e., emotional abuse, physical abuse, and financial abuse), and (c) institutional abuse (i.e., COVID-19, family law, and safeguarding). Specifically, parents detailed several alienating behaviors such as belittling, manipulation, and coercive control, as well as novel forms of coercive controlling patterns, which illustrated how the COVID-19 lockdowns created new opportunities for alienating parents to manipulate the NRP–child relationship. The implications of the results are discussed, including recommendations on improving safeguarding protocols for children with contact orders in place and adopting policy measures to support NRPs. These are also discussed in the context of reforming the justice system utilizing COVID-associated “lessons.”

Assessing Child Maintenance Cases in Ghana: What Do Social Workers Consider?

While one of the key responsibilities of social services in Ghana is to conduct maintenance arrangements so that the nonresident parent is committed to making financial contributions to the well-being of the child, little is known about what informs social workers’ assessments in child maintenance cases. The aim of this study was to determine what social workers consider when undertaking child maintenance assessments. A qualitative practice research study was conducted with 13 social workers and 12 parents involved in a child maintenance case with three agencies of the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development in Ghana. The study showed that corroborating the existence of nonpayment for maintenance in the family is the first step in assessing other factors, such as the parent’s income, occupational status and maintenance amount. Even after the maintenance amount was decided upon, social workers were often unable to follow-up on nonresident parents to ensure that they complied with the maintenance arrangements. Given that no assessment instrument exists in Ghana for addressing child maintenance cases, the study’s findings can provide useful information that can aid in the development of an instrument or framework to assist social workers in their assessments.

Staying connected after divorce: Adolescent child and nonresidential parent perspectives

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate how nonresidential parents and adolescent children maintained their relationships and communicated with one another following parental divorce.BackgroundA substantial proportion of children whose parents have divorced live with one parent and have less contact with the other parent. It is important to understand nonresidential parent–child relationships and the role communication technology plays in relationship maintenance.MethodQualitative interviews were conducted with a total of 34 adolescent and nonresidential parent participants (10 nonresidential parent–child dyads and 14 individual participants) to understand how nonresidential parents and children maintain their relationship following parental divorce and how they use communication technology to stay connected from a distance. Thematic analysis techniques (Braun & Clarke, 2006) were used to analyze the data.ResultsThree common positive factors or “benefits” relating to nonresidential parent–adolescent relationship closeness emerged: planned physical visits, frequent communication using multiple communication methods, and same sex of parent and child. Factors that served as barriers that interfered with nonresidential parent–adolescent relationship closeness were identified: residential parent interference, perceived child disengagement or lack of interest, and child blocking methods of communication.ConclusionThe results of this study provide additional insight and understanding that will help positively influence nonresidential parent–child relationships.ImplicationsPractitioners can help nonresidential parents identify communication technologies they can use with their adolescents and ways of reducing existing communication barriers.

Stability in children’s residential arrangements and distance to nonresident parents in the 10 years after parental separation

Stability in children’s residential arrangements and distance to nonresident parents in the 10 years after parental separation

Trends in Distance Between Non-resident Parents and Minor Children Following Separation: Analysis of the Belgian Case, 1992–2018

Geographic distance between a child and their non-resident parent is a key aspect of the reorganization of the family following parental separation. The increasingly equal involvement of both parents in the upbringing of their children is expected to translate into increasing geographic proximity between children and non-resident parents. So far, there has been no evidence about the time trends in geographical distances between minor children and non-resident parents outside of the Swedish context. In this study, we investigate these trends across Belgian separation cohorts from 1992 to 2018 and the extent to which they differ according to parental socioeconomic status and child’s age at separation. Overall, we observed a very small decrease in distance between children and their non-resident fathers and a somewhat larger decrease for non-resident mothers. The distance increased for very young children (0–2 years) and children with low-educated fathers. These findings point to inequalities in certain parent–child dyads.

Geographical distance between child and parent after a union dissolution in Sweden, 1974–2011

Divorce is associated with a weakened relationship between the child and the nonresident parent, usually the father. This loss of contact is likely to be even further exacerbated if this parent lives at a substantial distance from the child.

Parent-Child Contact during Incarceration: Predictors of Involvement among Resident and Nonresident Parents Following Release from Prison

Despite promising evidence that family contact during incarceration may reduce recidivism, less is understood about its role in postrelease parental involvement with children. Drawing on data from the randomized controlled trial of the Parent Child Study, this article examines in-prison parent-child contact in relation to postrelease parent-caregiver relationships, residence, and nonresidential contact. Predictors of contact include measures of visits, calls, and letters. We use ordinary least-squares regression, logistic regression, and multivariate negative binomial models to assess the outcomes. We show that in-prison visits and calls are associated with caregiver relationship quality and that more frequent visits increase the odds of both postrelease parent-child residence and nonresidential visits. Parent-child visits in prison predict parent involvement after release and may be vital to children and families over and above contact in general. Findings have implications for social workers, criminal justice practitioners, policy makers, and nonprofit agency staff working with incarcerated parents.

Individual realities and legal responsibilities: a study of non-resident parents who dispute child maintenance obligations in Swedish administrative courts, 2014–2019

Abstract This study is the first large-scale empirical account of child maintenance non-compliance in Sweden. The scheme explored is the guaranteed support system, i.e. when liable parents do not comply with their formal maintenance obligations as determined by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (SSIA). The objective is to map out and describe the overall reasons why parents do not pay, as well as to explain why parents’ perceptions of their maintenance obligations diverge from those of the SSIA officials. To this end, the study utilises both quantitative descriptive analysis and qualitative thematic text analysis. The data were built on a unique body of material comprising over 700 court cases where liable parents disputed their maintenance obligations in Sweden’s 12 administrative courts, during 2014–2019. The quantitative results show that claiming economic inability and regular involvement in the care of children are the two most common arguments for non-payment. The qualitative analysis further suggests that the administrative tools and legal assessments designed to calculate payments to aid parents are in reality creating barriers, uncertainty, and distrust in the process. Consequently, the rules designed to protect children in lone-parent households are a factor contributing to non-payment by the other parent. The article concludes with reflections and public policy implications.

Child Support Policy across High-Income Countries: Similar Problems, Different Approaches

We provide an overview of child support policy in high-income countries, highlighting differences in institutional arrangements, the amount of child support due, and the amount of child support received. We show that the United States expects high levels of child support from nonresident parents when compared to other countries, that noncompliance is a problem across countries, and that most European countries deal with nonpayment of child support by providing guarantees of public support for children and resident parents. The guarantee schemes vary in terms of eligibility and generosity. Throughout, we find that child support policy approaches differ across countries. A key policy implication from this review is that the United States may be expecting too much child support from nonresident parents and that it could consider guaranteeing a modest amount of public support to single-parent households.

PERSONAL NON-PROPERTY RELATIONSHIPS OF THE STEP-FATHER AND STEPSON: IN SEARCH OF LEGAL ENTITIES

The problem of personal non-property relations that arise in a consolidated or remarried family with the participation of a stepfather/stepmother and a stepson/stepdaughter is rarely studied in the legal literature. Schematic approaches have been adopted in Russian familistics, suggesting the legal imposition of legal rights and obligations on the stepfather, by analogy with legal parents. In the Kazakh science of family law, this problem is not even touched upon. Turning to it, the authors of the article seek to substantiate the appropriate theoretical and methodological approaches to its study. Turning to it, the authors of the article seek to substantiate the appropriate theoretical and methodological approaches to its study. The original author's idea is based on the fact that personal non-property rights and obligations in family law do not arise either from parents or other family members "on their own". The grounds for this are named only by the law, establishing for this purpose the rules for recognition by parents. The current legislation of Russia and Kazakhstan does not provide for other grounds, except for the recognition of persons as parents by law, for establishing legal rights and obligations in relation to a child. Scientific attempts to legally impose legal rights and obligations on the stepfather are not consistent with this legislative maxim and contradict it. This author's judgment serves as a methodological guideline for future research on personal non-property relations between a stepfather and stepson, prejudging the involvement of other legal tools in its scientific description, which is based on dispositive regulation. Such are conciliatory and voluntary acts with the participation of the stepfather and the legal parents of the child, whose personal non-property rights and obligations in relation to the child do not cease after the breakup of their marriage. This approach does not eliminate the relationship between the stepfather and stepson of the non-resident parent from the study and does not raise the problem of the competition of the rights of these persons in relations with the child.

Do courts know how to incentivize? Behavioral response of non-resident parents to child support obligations

In the case of divorce or separation, there are two kinds of maintenance regarding (minor) children: One parent provides food, housing, etc., the other parent compensates in the form of monthly payments. This study explores whether non-resident parents have responded to changes in the payments as laid down by the courts. Results for parents younger than 50 years old show that a €10 increase in monthly child support obligations decreases the likelihood of having an additional child by about 0.39 percentage points (about 3% at the sample mean). There is only weak evidence of a positive (re) marriage incentive. Furthermore, changing obligations do not have an impact on other post-separation behavior including child care and labor supply. To my knowledge, this investigation is the first causal analysis of unintentional side effects driven by courts’ changes in German child support guidelines. The potential endogeneity of child support obligations is addressed by using the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) data from 1983–2013 and applying individual fixed-effects instrumental variable models.

Single parenthood, the non-residential parent and co-parenting in Swedish daily news

ABSTRACT Since the 1960s, Swedish family policies have encouraged parents to share their parental obligations equally, and in the 1980s joint legal custody became standard after divorce or separation. Mothers as well as fathers are expected to financially provide for the family and to take part in the everyday care and fostering of the child. This study explores how single parenthood, non-residential parents and co-parenting play out and become conventionalized in daily news in this national context. The material consists of articles that mention single parenthood and “the other parent” from the four most widely read newspapers published in the period 2010–2019. The analytical focus has been on the written language and what is spelled out, alluded to or ignored, and dominant and less dominant representations. The results show that there are contrasting depictions of mothers and fathers. While the mother as a single parent, co-parent and non-residential parent overall is represented as good and attentive, the father is more of a split figure. He recurrently comes across as absent and negligent as the non-residential parent, but as committed and involved as the primary parent or co-parent with joint residential custody.

The dyad is not enough

The increasing prevalence of ageing stepfamilies and the potential of stepchildren to act as a source of support for older parents have increased the interest in long-term intergenerational step relationships. Applying a life-course perspective combined with Simmel’s theorizing on social dynamics, this exploratory study aims to investigate the preconditions for cohesion in long-term intergenerational step relationships. The study is based on interviews with 13 older parents, aged 66–79, who have raised both biological children and stepchildren. Retrospective life-course interviews were used to capture the development of step relationships over time. Interviews were analysed following the principles of analytical induction. The results reveal four central third-party relationships that are important for cohesion in intergenerational step relationships over time, involving: (1) the intimate partner; (2) the non-residential parent; (3) the bridge child; and (4) the stepchild-in-law. The findings have led to the conclusion that if we are to understand the unique conditions for cohesion in long-term intergenerational step relationships, we cannot simply compare biological parent–child dyads with step dyads, because the step relationship is essentially a mediated relationship.

Wealth of children from single-parent families: Low levels and high inequality in Germany

Families’ economic wealth is a resource that can provide children with crucial advantages early in their lives. Prior research identified substantial variation of wealth levels between different family types with children from single-parent families being most disadvantaged. The causes of this disadvantage, how much the disadvantage varies between children and how the non-resident parents’ wealth may potentially reduce the disadvantage remain unclear. To address these research gaps, we use data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (2002–17) to examine the level of and inequality in wealth for children from single-parent families using recentred influence function regression and decomposition analysis. We replicate earlier findings of a large wealth disadvantage for children in single-parent families. We find that the wealth disadvantage can be mainly explained with compositional differences in household income and employment characteristics. Beyond level differences, inequality between children from single-parent families is higher than for other family types and this inequality can only partly be explained by observed demographic and socio-economic characteristics. When considering the wealth of non-resident parents, the wealth disadvantage of children in single-parent families is reduced but remains substantial. JEL-codes: D31, D1, J1

Blessing or Burden: Transitions Into Eldercare and Caregiver Mental Health

Caring for one’s parents can be good or bad for mental health. Guided by theories suggesting that caregiving work brings both demands and benefits, we examine if mental health outcomes depend on variations in caregiving arrangements. Using waves 5–17 from the Household Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey (16,802 respondents; 115,176 person-years), we divide men and women caregivers into four groups based on their responsibility (main vs. secondary caregiver) and the location of the care recipient (inside or outside the caregiver’s household). We also examine how caregivers’ experiences are moderated by the social support they have. On average, caregivers experience no change in mental health. However, women with low social support who become main caregivers for resident parents experience declines in mental health. Men with low social support who become main caregivers for non-resident parents experience improved mental health. These results suggest that caregiver outcomes reflect different caregiving arrangements.

The Power of Three: A Latent Class Analysis of the Three Parent–Child Relationships in Stepfamilies and Their Influence on Emerging Adult Outcomes

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to identify patterns of parent–child relationships in stepfamilies and explore their impact on emerging adult (EA) outcomes. Six classes of parent–child relationships were identified based on participants’ retrospective reports of warmth and closeness, involved parenting, and communication. After identifying the classes, we examined how resident parent relationships status, EA sex, stepparent sex, years spent in a stepfamily, the age the EA entered the stepfamily, and the time spent with the nonresident parent affected class membership. Finally, we examined how class membership affected EA depression, drug use, and hooking up behaviors.

Non-Parental Family Members as Brokers of Family Social Capital: Compensatory Time Use in India.

Non-parental family members are understudied but important brokers of family social capital, especially in contexts without a nuclear-family norm. We used rich time diary data from a sample of 1568 South Indian adolescents to examine the relationships between any time spent with parents, parents’ residency status, and the time spent with non-parental family members. We found that adolescents with at least one non-resident parent spent significantly more time with siblings, on average, when compared to adolescents with resident parents. We further found that adolescents spent more time with siblings in educational activities, such as studying, when they had at least one non-resident parent. These findings point to the importance of considering non-parental family members in studies of family social capital, especially in low- and middle-income contexts. Our findings challenge resource dilution theories by demonstrating that siblings themselves act as resources, rather than simply competitors for parental resources.

Contact Between Non-Resident Parents and Their Children During the COVID-19 in Hungary

Several studies have examined the factors that can influence contact between non-resident parents and their children (Goldberg & Carlson 2015, Skevik 2006). The distance between the place of residence of the non-resident parent and their child(ren) has been found to be important in terms of the frequency of in-person contact (Manning et al. 2003; Cheadle et al. 2010). The majority of research on this topic focuses on the frequency and quality of face-to-face visitation between non-resident parents and their children (Kalmijn, 2015, Köppen et al., Szalma & Rékai 2019). Although some studies have explored other types of contact such as overnight stays (Haux & Platt, 2020; King et al. 2004) and phone contact (Leite & McKenry, 2002; Meggiolaro & Ongaro, 2014), these remain marginal. Other types of communications between non-resident parents and their children might be under-researched because face-to-face contact is a condition for other types of contact (Schier 2016).

The Forms and Functions of Child Support Stigma

The stigmatization of single mothers who receive child support proliferates in news media, policy, and popular culture. Drawing on critical stigma literature, we examined data from interviews conducted with child support recipients in Australia and the United Kingdom. Our analysis examined how women receiving child support experienced stigma, how stigma was applied to other women in similar situations, and the political implications of these framings. Our interview data suggested child support stigma can be grouped into three categories, where women were seen to contravene maternal norms, patriarchal norms, and/or familial norms. These norms sanctioned mothers’ use of, amount of, and reliance on child support, viewing it fundamentally as men’s money that women take, rather than the contribution of a nonresident parent to their children’s upbringing. The source of stigma may have been ex-partners, child support bureaucratic systems, or recipients themselves, but the social and political functions of child support stigma remained the same: it discouraged solidarity between recipients and encouraged policy reform that further disadvantaged them.

Court of Justice

This overview highlights the ECJ’s decision on the possibility of resident subsidiaries of a non-resident parent company to integrate a horizontal tax group without dissolving a pre-existing vertical tax group.