Parental Separation Research Articles

What makes a father: differentiation of unmarried and divorced fathers in the context of custody under the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights

Abstract While marriage has traditionally served as the connective tissue between fathers, mothers, and their children before the law, the increasing commonality of cohabitation-based relationships without marriage has led to many children being born outside of the marriage union. This has complicated the legal understanding of fatherhood in particular, which has traditionally relied on the contractual nature and stability of the marital union to be legally defined and understood. States are often ill-equipped to handle parental separation and child custody in the case of civil unions, and unmarried fathers tend to have fewer venues of legal protection compared to divorced fathers in that regard. The purpose of this article is to identify the legal challenges surrounding unmarried fathers and parental rights in the context of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. It examines the elements of what constitutes legal fatherhood, identifies the main human rights issues surrounding unmarried fathers, and assesses the reasons for legal differentiation between divorced and unmarried fathers. Importantly, conclusions are drawn as to whether and why these differences are justified from a legal perspective. This article contributes to the need for more research in the area of father–child relationships and aims to provide guidance for policy and law-making with regard to unmarried parents in the context of children’s rights.

The social stratification in parent-child relationships after separation: Evidence from Italy

Objective: We investigate the association between parental separation during childhood and later parent-child contact frequency and whether it varies according to parental gender and education. Background: Separated parents, particularly fathers, have fewer contacts with their adult children than partnered parents. However, recent research suggests that highly educated parents are more involved, as they invest more in children before and after union dissolution. Method: Using data on young adult children (18-40) from two Italian surveys, random intercept models adjusted for sample selection bias were adopted to analyse the association between parental separation and later parent-child contact frequency. Results: Our findings show that adult children who experienced parental separation have less frequent face-to-face and phone contact with their parents. The negative association is stronger among fathers, but mother-child face-to-face interactions are also affected. Higher education does not reduce the effect of separation but even worsens it, at least with regard to face-to-face contact frequency. Conclusion: Our results suggest that in a country like Italy, characterised by a limited occurrence of separations and a traditional division of gender roles, particularly within the analysed parental cohorts, higher parental education does not mitigate the negative effects of divorce on parent-child relationships but may even exacerbate them.

Loneliness status and influencing factors among rural left-behind children in China: A cross-sectional study

We investigated the current status and main factors of loneliness among rural left-behind children. We conducted a survey of 812 rural left-behind children in China using the Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Children’s Loneliness Scale, the Social Anxiety Scale for Children, the Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, and the Piers-Harris Child Self-Concept Scale. Results showed that (a) 66.26% had a sense of loneliness; (b) there were correlations between loneliness and 7 sociodemographic variables, social anxiety, self-esteem, and self-concept; (c) grade, age, parental separation duration, contact frequency with parents, social anxiety, self-esteem, and self-concept were the main factors influencing the level of loneliness among rural left-behind children. Recommendations for parents and teachers are suggested.

Exploring the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and adolescent cancer risk behaviours in the ALSPAC cohort

BackgroundSome modifiable risk factors for cancer originate during adolescence. While there is evidence indicating relationships between adverse childhood experiences and health risk behaviours generally, little is known about how childhood adversity influences the engagement of adolescents in cancer risk behaviours. This study aimed to determine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adolescent cancer risk behaviours.MethodsData were collected prospectively from birth to age 18 years on children born to mothers enrolled into the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort study. Multivariable linear regression models assessed relationships of a composite exposure measure comprised of adverse childhood experiences (total number of childhood adversities experienced from early infancy until age 9 years) with multiple cancer risk behaviours. The latter was expressed as a single continuous score for tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, unsafe sex, and physical inactivity, at ages 11, 14, 16 and 18 years. Analysis was carried out on the complete case and imputation samples of 1,368 and 7,358 participants respectively.ResultsAll adolescent cancer risk behaviours increased in prevalence as the adolescents grew older, except for obesity. Each additional adverse childhood experience was associated with a 0.25 unit increase in adolescent cancer risk behaviour (95% CI 0.16–0.34; p < 0.001). Individually, parental substance misuse (β 0.64, 95% CI 0.25–1.03, p < 0.001) and parental separation (β 0.56, 95% CI 0.27–0.86, p < 0.001) demonstrated the strongest evidence of association with engagement in adolescent cancer risk behaviour.ConclusionChildhood adversity was associated with a greater degree of engagement in adolescent cancer risk behaviours. This finding demonstrates the need for targeted primary and secondary prevention interventions that reduce engagement across multiple cancer risk behaviours for children and adolescents who have experienced adversity in childhood, such as parental substance misuse and separation, and reduce exposure to adversity.

Longitudinal Association Between the Quality of the Separated Parents’ Relationship and the Frequency of Father–Child Contact: The Mothers’ Perspective

This longitudinal study is based on family systems theory and aims to explore the association between the quality of the separated parents’ relationship and the frequency of father–child contact up to five years after parental separation. Using data collected from 408 families from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD), multilevel analyses and latent growth curve model were carried out. The results highlight a positive association between the separated parents’ relationship and father–child contact and demonstrate the impact of the initial contact frequency on the evolution over time of the separated parents’ relationship. They also highlight the contribution of custody tension, the child’s age, the length of time the couple lived together, and the socio-economic status on the initial levels of the studied trajectories.

Profiles of Father Involvement Following Parental Separation

Profiles of Father Involvement Following Parental Separation

Early-life adversity predicting the incidence of multisite chronic pain in the general population.

Adverse childhood events (ACEs) have been linked to widespread chronic pain (CP) in various cross-sectional studies, mainly in clinical populations. However, the independent role of different ACEs on the development of different types of CP remains elusive. Accordingly, we aimed to prospectively assess the associations between specific types of ACEs with the development of multisite CP in a large population-based cohort. Data stemmed from the three first follow-up evaluations of CoLaus|PsyCoLaus, a prospective population-based cohort study of initially 6734 participants (age range: 35-75 years). The present sample included 1537 participants with 2161 analyzable intervals (49.7% men, mean age 57.3 years). Diagnostic criteria for ACEs were elicited using semi-structured interviews and CP was assessed by self-rating questionnaires. Multinomial logistic regressions with generalized estimating equations method analyzed the relationship between the different ACEs measured in the beginning of the interval and the risk of developing multisite CP during the follow-up. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the predictive value of ACEs on multisite CP with neuropathic features. Participants with a history of parental divorce or separation had an increased risk of developing multisite CP at during follow-up in comparison to those without (RR1.98; 95% CI 1.13-3.47). A strong association was highlighted between parental divorce or separation and the risk of subsequent CP with neuropathic characteristics (RR 4.21, 95% CI 1.45-12.18). These results highlight the importance of psychotherapeutic management of people experiencing parental separation to prevent CP in the future.

Stolen Youth: Case Study on Psychological Effects of Parental Separation

Family is the cradle of every person. It builds a foundation or core principles that a person carries throughout life. This study focuses on an in-depth investigation of the parent-child relationship, mental health, and academic life of a student with separated parents. This qualitative research was approached using a case study model and purposive sampling technique with one subject, after which semi-structured interviews were conducted through Google Meet, and then finally, results were analyzed thematically. Results revealed seven main themes with corresponding subthemes, such as, but not limited to, early independence, loss of a mother figure, and personal and academic life overlap. The parental separation negatively affected the subject, shown through depression, anxiety, abandonment and trust issues, exclusion, emotional isolation, self-harm attempts, and suicidal ideations. Negative impacts were also placed on the subject’s interest in building a future family, affecting academic life, as the subject unhealthily copes with being dismissive of emotions. The subject lost contact with their mother, leaving the residential father as the only parent figure; hence, he needs a genuine and comfortable environment, especially family-wise. Nonetheless, the subject could use the circumstances as fuel to succeed. The findings provide grounds for further research on the psychological effects of parental separation on students while emphasizing the importance of giving undivided attention to children during such a challenging time.

Beyond Winning: Lived Experiences of Thriving Young Professionals Raised in Solo-Parent Families

Understanding the factors and mechanisms contributing to the success of thriving young professionals raised in solo-parent families can provide valuable insights into how these individuals overcame challenges and achieved personal and professional fulfillment. The research aimed to propose an intervention program based on the lived experiences of adults raised in solo-parent families, specifically their experiences, their views of their challenges, how they thrived despite being raised in solo-parent families, and what intervention program companies can implement for young professionals raised in solo-parent families. The study employed a phenomenological approach to analyze the participants' lived experiences and used thematic analysis to examine classifications and identify recurring themes in the data. The experiences of the participants included financial struggles, lack of understanding regarding parental separation, parental abandonment, toxic family dynamics, adverse emotions, and a fearful-avoidant attachment style during adult life. The participants viewed their challenges with a positive perspective and motivation to thrive in life. Despite being raised in a solo-parent family, they thrived through faith, a positive mindset, and grit.

Childhood Trauma and Self-harm in Youths with Bipolar Disorders.

Bipolar disorders (BD) in youth are associated with a high risk of self-harm behaviors. Childhood trauma (CT) is a relevant environmental stressor that is related to both BD diagnosis and self-harm in adulthood. It is not yet established whether CT may impact self-harm risk in youth. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the distribution patterns of CT in youth BD with and without self-harm. We assessed 273 participants (aged 13-25 years), 96 youths with BD according to DSM-5 criteria and 177 healthy controls (HC). History of CT was obtained using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The association between CT and self-harm was tested using multivariate statistical models. Over 45% of participants with BD reported lifetime self-harm. The BD Self-harm group reported more emotional abuse, emotional neglect, sexual abuse, and physical abuse than HC. The BD No-Self-harm group reported more emotional abuse than HC. The BD Self-harm group reported more emotional abuse and neglect than the BD No-Self-harm group. The BD Self-harm group also reported separated parents, hospitalizations, smoking, use of antiepileptics, antipsychotics and lithium. Emotional abuse was an independent predictor of self-harm in youths with BD. Findings support the importance of assessing CT, in particular emotional abuse, in youth with BD at risk for self-harm.

Influencing Factors on Left-Behind Children’s Mental Health

A polarization between urban and rural areas has urged a a growing number of people leave their hometown and go to bigger cities in search for better paying jobs. This has led to a goring number of left behind children in China. Left behind children tend to endure worse mental health. This study hopes to find the influencing factors that might impact the effect of parental separation on left behind children’s mental health. By studying this, people can better protect the mental well-being of the left behind children. This study used secondary analysis, which requires synthesizing previous findings. Previous findings lack in depth investigation into each influencing factor. This study discovered that female left behind children (LBC)have higher rates of mental illness than male LBC, younger LBC have higher rates of mental illness than older LBC, and LBC who communicate with their parents less frequently have higher rates of mental illness than those who maintain close contact with them.

Parent‐child contact problems: Family violence and parental alienating behaviors either/or, neither/nor, both/and, one in the same?

AbstractThis article argues that in order to intervene effectively and ethically with children who are manifesting Parent–child contact problems (PCCPs) after parental separation, we begin by being mindful of what is normal about divorce transitions and use developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive analysis to rule out children's common transitory reactions. It is then important to concurrently assess for both family violence (FV) and severe parental alienating behavior (PAB) on the part of both parents, which can co‐occur in some cases. The article asserts that it is also important to consider common problematic parenting responses that may potentiate the PCCP but not necessarily rise to the level of abuse. FV is defined as a child's direct experience of physical, sexual, or psychological maltreatment and indirect exposure to sibling abuse and/or to intimate partner violence (IPV). PAB is defined as an ongoing pattern of unwarranted negative messages on the part of one parent that conveys that the child's other parent is disinterested, irrelevant, dangerous, and not to be trusted. Any one or all of these factors may contribute to a child's strident negativity and sustained rejection of one parent, these being defining features of a PCCP. This article proposes ethical principles and priorities for decision‐making in these cases, considering the growing social science controversy about assessment and intervention for PCCPs. It concludes with an analysis of recent, contrasting policy approaches to PCCPs (e.g., Kayden's Law and the Joint Statement of the AFCC and NCJFCJ) and their potential impact on family justice system professionals and the families they serve.

Perlindungan Terhadap Hak Anak Dalam Perceraian Menurut Hukum Keluarga Di Indonesia

The aim of this study is to clarify the legal certainty related to the protection of children who have been separated. The main issues that are central to this issue are: 1) What legal provisions apply to protect the well-being of children affected by the separation of parents? What rights are given to children? Studies using qualitative research methodology. Researchers, they do observational practice, conduct interviews with sources, and document relevant information. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of religious courts in shaping laws relating to the protection of children affected by divorce. Can the decision of this religious court provide protection for the rights of the child? The current analysis has several implications: 1) Enhancing the role of judges in evaluating and determining custody forchildren victims of divorce. 2) It serves as a framework for judges to assess the rights of children to be recognized and fulfilled.

Adolescent Adjustment to Parental Marital Transitions: Experiences in Urban, Rural and Suburban Communities

ABSTRACT This study aimed to (1) identify the perceived helpfulness of relationships and resources adolescents relied on in their transition to their parents’ divorce or separation and (2) to ascertain any differences in experiences with these resources and relationships based on rurality. A retrospective design was implemented with 47 young adults who experienced parental divorce or separation between the ages of 10 and 18. Three themes were constructed through coding reliability thematic analysis. Participants indicated that helpful resources and relationships provided support in: (a) managing emotions following parental marital transitions, (b) reframing the experience of a parental marital transition, and (c) assistance with boundaries following a parental marital transition. Nearly half of the rural participants did not rely on formal resources (e.g., therapist/counselor), but across rurality levels the perceptions of what made these relationships and resources helpful in adapting to a parental marital transition were similar.

A call for early, effective, and scalable parent education programs for high-conflict separated/divorcing parents: A synthesized perspective from prevention science and family law.

Conflict between parents is stressful and disruptive to children living in the midst of parental separation or divorce. Although some level of post-separation/divorce conflict is understandable in an emotionally-charged separation/divorce, it undermines the extent to which parents protect their children from short- and long-term problems. In this article, we weave together a synthesized perspective informed by our respective training and experience in prevention science and family law on the role of parent education programs for high-conflict separating/divorcing parents. To do so, we first describe the research on the effects of high interparental conflict on children's outcomes and then discuss current approaches and challenges to reducing these negative effects by offering parent education programs for high-conflict separating/divorcing parents. Then, we propose and describe a new model for early, effective, and scalable parent education programs with the ultimate goal of protecting children after separation/divorce.

Early growth, stress, and socioeconomic factors as predictors of the rate of multimorbidity accumulation across the life course: a longitudinal birth cohort study

Early growth, stress, and socioeconomic factors are associated with future risk of individual chronic diseases. It is uncertain whether they also affect the rate of multimorbidity accumulation later in life. This study aimed to explore whether early life factors are associated with the rate at which chronic diseases are accumulated across older age. In this national birth cohort study, we studied people born at Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland between Jan 1, 1934, and Dec 31, 1944, who attended child welfare clinics in the city, and were living in Finland in 1971. Individuals who had died or emigrated from Finland before 1987 were excluded, alongside participants without any registry data and who died before the end of the registry follow-up on Dec 31, 2017. Early anthropometry, growth, wartime parental separation, and socioeconomic factors were recorded from birth, child welfare clinic, or school health-care records, and Finnish National Archives. International Classification of Diseases codes of diagnoses for chronic diseases were obtained from the Care Register for Health Care starting from 1987 (when participants were aged 42-53 years) until 2017. Linear mixed models were used to study the association between early-life factors and the rate of change in the number of chronic diseases over 10-year periods. From Jan 1, 1934, to Dec 31, 2017, 11 689 people (6064 [51·9%] men and 5625 [48·1%] women) were included in the study. Individuals born to mothers younger than 25 years (β 0·09; 95% CI 0·06-0·12), mothers with a BMI of 25-30 kg/m2 (0·08; 0·05-0·10), and mothers with a BMI more than 30 kg/m2 (0·26; 0·21-0·31) in late pregnancy accumulated chronic diseases faster than those born to older mothers (25-30 years) and those with a BMI of less than 25 kg/m2. Individuals with a birthweight less than 2·5 kg (0·17; 0·10-0·25) and those with a rapid growth in height and weight from birth until age 11 years accumulated chronic diseases faster during their life course. Additionally, paternal occupational class (manual workers vs upper-middle class 0·27; 0·23-0·30) and wartime parental separation (0·24; 0·19-0·29 for boys; 0·31; 0·25-0·36 for girls) were associated with a faster rate of chronic disease accumulation. Our findings suggest that the foundation for accumulating chronic diseases is established early in life. Early interventions might be needed for vulnerable populations, including war evacuee children and children with lower socioeconomic status. Finska Läkaresällskapet, Liv och Hälsa rf, the Finnish Pediatric Research Foundation, and Folkhälsan Research Center. For the Finnish and Swedish translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Effect of video distraction on preoperative anxiety scores in pediatric patients undergoing general anesthesia in ophthalmic daycare procedures: A randomized controlled trial.

Parental separation, fear, and exposure to the operating room environment lead to stress and anxiety in pediatric patients. This study aims to identify the research gaps in the effect of video distraction on pediatric patients of Indian origin. We hypothesized that video distraction along with parental presence would reduce preoperative anxiety in pediatric patients undergoing ophthalmic procedures under general anesthesia compared with parental presence alone. In this prospective randomized trial, 145 patients aged 2-8 years, ASA I-II, with at least one functional eye undergoing elective ophthalmic daycare procedures were enrolled. They were randomly allocated to two Groups: Group V had distraction by watching a video/playing a video game together with parental presence, whereas control Group C had parental presence alone without any video distraction. The primary objective of the study was to compare preoperative anxiety using the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety score (mYPAS) and heart rate (HR), whereas the secondary objective was to compare child fear, emergence delirium, and parental satisfaction between the two groups. The three time points for intergroup comparisons were the preoperative holding area 10 min before induction (T0), transport of the child to the operating room (T1), and face mask introduction (T2). There was a statistically significant difference between mYPAS score in groups V and C at all time points (P = 0.036, P = 0.0001, P = 0.0000), parental satisfaction score at all three time points (P = 0.0049, P = 0.0000, P = 0.0000), and Child Fear Score at T1 and T2 (P = 0.0001, P = 0.0001, respectively). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the emergence of delirium between the two groups. Video distraction together with parental presence has a promising role for implementation in hospitals with heavy workload settings where pharmacological intervention would not be feasible, to alleviate preoperative anxiety in children. However, preoperative anxiety may not translate into increased postoperative emergence delirium as was earlier believed.

Parental Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism and Helicopter Parenting: Mediation Through Parent Separation Anxiety and Parental Contingent Self-Worth

Parental Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism and Helicopter Parenting: Mediation Through Parent Separation Anxiety and Parental Contingent Self-Worth

Executive control training for adolescents with ADHD: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions diagnosed during childhood and adolescence. In addition to the commonly observed symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, individuals with ADHD often experience impairments in executive functions (EFs). Goal management training (GMT) is a cognitive remediation intervention targeting EFs, with empirical support from studies with adult populations, including ADHD. The objective of the upcoming trial is to assess the effectiveness of GMT for adolescents with ADHD. MethodsThis pre-registered protocol outlines a multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing GMT to treatment as usual (TAU) to improve EFs. We aim to recruit 120 participants, aged 12 to 18 years, recently diagnosed with ADHD. Participants will be randomly allocated to the group-based GMT intervention in addition to TAU, or the TAU condition, through block randomisation with site stratification. GMT will be delivered in groups of four to six participants, with weekly two-hour sessions for seven weeks, complemented by separate parent and teacher sessions. TAU is standard community mental health treatment. The primary outcome measure will be parent-reported EF assessed with the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function 2 (BRIEF-2). Secondary outcomes will include ADHD symptom measures, social functioning, quality of life, and neuropsychological tests (attention span, inhibition, working memory, and visuo-motor speed). The outcome assessments will be conducted at baseline, 12 weeks, 12 months, and 24 months post-treatment. ConclusionThe study findings will contribute to determine the effectiveness of a non-pharmacological ADHD treatment, including outcome trajectories up to 24 months post-treatment.

Economic Burden of Health Conditions Associated With Adverse Childhood Experiences Among US Adults

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are preventable, potentially traumatic events in childhood, such as experiencing abuse or neglect, witnessing violence, or living in a household with substance use disorder, mental health problems, or instability from parental separation or incarceration. Adults who had ACEs have more harmful risk behaviors and worse health outcomes; the economic burden associated with these issues is uncertain. To estimate the economic burden of ACE-associated health conditions among US adults. In this economic evaluation, regression models of cross-sectional survey data from the 2019-2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and previous studies were used to estimate ACE population-attributable fractions (PAFs) (ie, the fraction of total cases associated with a specific exposure) for selected health outcomes (anxiety, arthritis, asthma, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and violence) and risk factors (heavy drinking, illicit drug use, overweight and obesity, and smoking) among the 2019 US adult population. Adverse childhood experience PAFs were used to calculate the proportion of total condition-specific medical spending and lost healthy life-years related to ACEs using Global Burden of Disease Study data. Data analysis was performed from September 10, 2021, to November 29, 2022. Adverse childhood experiences (age <18 years). Monetary valuation of ACE-associated morbidity and mortality using standard US value of statistical life methods and presented in terms of annual and lifetime per affected person and total population estimates at the national and state levels. A total of 820 673 adults, representing 255 million individuals, participated in the BRFSS in 2019 and 2020. An estimated 160 million of the total 255 million US adult population (63%) had 1 or more ACE, associated with an annual economic burden of $14.1 trillion ($183 billion in direct medical spending and $13.9 trillion in lost healthy life-years). This was $88 000 per affected adult annually and $2.4 million over their lifetimes. The lifetime economic burden per affected adult was lowest in North Dakota ($1.3 million) and highest in Arkansas ($4.3 million). Twenty-two percent of adults had 4 or more ACEs and comprised 58% of the total economic burden-the estimated per person lifetime economic burden for those adults was $4.0 million. In this cross-sectional analysis of the US adult population, the economic burden of ACE-related health conditions was substantial. The findings suggest that measuring the economic burden of ACEs can support decision-making about investing in strategies to improve population health.