Attachment Theory and the Family Violence Reforms

Most common reason why fathers had less than 30% of time spent with children forfinalised litigated cases, 2007-08 to 2010-112007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11Abuse and/or 29% 27% 36% 36%family violenceEntrenchedconflict15% 16% 23% 26%Distance/transport/ 6% 10% 7% 11%Financial mattersMental health 3% 3% 4% 6%Dr Jennifer McIntosh & Professor Richard Chisholm, ‘Cautionary notes on theshared care of children in conflicted parental separation’ Journal of Family Studies,vol. 14, issue 1, April 2008, pp. 37-52The article discussed data obtained from two studies. The two studies explored outcomesfrom dispute resolution interventions in Family Court and community settings for parentsexperiencing significant conflict over post-separation parenting agreements.Study 1: Disputing parents and their children: A mediation sampleThe ‘Children Beyond Dispute’ research program is a longitudinal study, funded by theAustralian Government Attorney General’s Department, and directed by McIntosh. Thestudy is now in its fourth year. The findings reported here are from the first three phasesof this project, where outcomes were compared for two groups of separated parents, whoexperienced one of two different forms of brief therapeutic mediation for entrenchedparenting disputes. Among other things, the study explored impacts of the interventionson parental conflict, acrimony (psychologically held hostility), and parental alliance(parental cooperation and regard), and the emotional wellbeing of children. Data werecollected from parents and children prior to their mediation, three months after, and againone year after. One hundred and eighty-three families were involved in this phase of thestudy, with parent report data collected on over 300 children.63