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Latest Mental Health News KIDS AND DIVORCE: STUDY SHOWS TIME KEY IN RELATIONSHIP WITH DIVORCED PARENT TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 13, 2003 (AScribe Newswire) Young adults whose parents have divorced think it's best to live equal time with each parent, and they appear to be right, according to a new study by an Arizona State University researcher Psychology Professor William Fabricius, reports in the October issue of the journal Family Relations (published by the National Council on Public Relations) that college-age young adults who report they had more time with their divorced fathers as they were growing up, years later have higher quality relationships with them. And an improved relationship with the father did not lessen the child's relationship with the mother The finding is based on ongoing surveys of more than 3,000 students in ASU Introduction to Psychology classes. The majority of the students were 18 -20 years old and their average age when the divorce occurred was 8 or 9. "We always say we want to do what is best for the children when it comes to divorce," says Fabricius. "But too often we don't know what that is, because we have seldom asked them for their perspectives and beliefs. These students have lived through their parents' divorces and they are telling us in several ways that the issue of living arrangements is central to their later adjustment." Among the key findings of the study: The students reported closeness rose and anger decreased toward their father, based on living arrangements with the father, ranging from little or no time all the way up to approaching equal time with both parents. The students saw their relationships with both parents independently. The students reported no change in closeness or anger toward their mother, as they spent more time with their father. "Mothers shouldn't worry that more time with dad will harm her relationship with the child," says Fabricius. The students who had either a lot of time or equal time with dad actually had better relationships with both parents than students from married families. Students from married families felt angrier and less close toward their fathers than their mothers, although the differences were small. But in divorced families with either a lot of time or equal time with dad, there were no differences in how students felt toward their mothers and fathers "Their relationships with both parents were optimal, at the top of the scales," said Fabricius. What hurt were attempts by one parent to undermine the child's relationship with the other parent, especially by interfering or making it difficult for them to spend time together. Students reported that 35 percent of mothers and 27 percent of fathers did this. This backfired and caused long-term anger and resentment in the children toward the offending parent. The study was a follow-up to a 2000 study in which Fabricius and student Jeff Hall found that 70 percent of students reported that the best living arrangement for children would be equal time with both parents. Of the students who actually lived in an equal arrangement, more than 90 percent said it was best. The students reported that they and their fathers both wanted more time together, but that their mothers did not agree. "The new findings show the kids were right," Fabricius says. "Equal time or close to it does appear to be the best for children and their parents." The journal article "Listening to Children of Divorce: New Findings That Diverge from Wallerstein, Lewis and Blakeslee," points out the findings vary dramatically from the conclusions long-time divorce researcher Judith Wallerstein and her colleagues drew in an influential 2000 book reporting a 25-year follow-up to Wallerstein's original study on divorce and parental relationships. "They underplay the importance of sharing residential custody, but back in the early 1970's when they recruited families to study, few did that," Fabricius said. Fabricius points out in the article that the age and size of Wallerstein's original sample cause concern over its validity. He says the issue of residential custody needs more study, due to the potential harm that depriving children of time with their divorced fathers could have on future generations of children.
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