An Examination of Child Custody and the Best Interest of Children
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Authors
Sostoi, Rachael A.
Issue Date
2006
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
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Alternative Title
Abstract
Divorce has become more and more socially accepted and easier to obtain. These were just a few
reasons why divorce has become more prevalent in today' s society while exposing more children
to divorce. Divorce was a major change in a child's life and had the potential to leave children
with long-term negative effects and emotional problems. The divorce procedure itself did not
cause negative consequences but rather the negative effects resulted from how the parents
handled themselves following the divorce. The time directly before the divorce influenced how
the children adjusted to the divorce. If the marriage was a high-conflict marriage, the children
had a harder time accepting the new life. The age of the child affected the ways in which the
child came to accept the divorce and the way he or she coped with the idea of having the family
split in two. The majority of custody hearings awarded custody to the mother. The courts
believed that maternal care was in the best interest of the child and that the mother would be
better suited to raise a child alone, with minimal time spent with the father. Unless there were
circumstances that were dangerous to the child, studies have shown that it was ideal to have both
parents highly involved in the child's life following a divorce. Children need access to both
parents at all times to have adjusted well to change. Courts have become more progressive in the
last couple of decades and have strived to insure children with the living situation that would best
fit that child. Thirty-three divorce cases were studied to examine patterns resulting from which
parent was awarded custody. Many characteristics of the parents were studied, such as age,
income, and length of marriage to determine where there was a variation between these different
characteristics and who was awarded custody of the children. Also, the relationship between the
father's income and child placement was studied.
Description
v, 30 p.
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