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June 21, 2018 – Joint Custody does not expose kids to higher conflict levels

When the conflict was high and hostile they were not more stressed or depressed or worse on any measures of well-being” (Buchanan et al., 1996, p. 265, emphasis added). Similarly the authors cited Bauserman’s meta-analysis (2002) as finding that JPC “may prolong or intensify children’s exposure to parental conflict, neglect, violence, abuse or psychopathology” (Smyth et al., 2016, p. 120) In fact, Bauserman reached the opposite conclusion: “The research reviewed here does not support claims by critics of joint custody that joint custody children are likely to be exposed to more conflict or to be at greater risk of adjustment problems due to having to adjust to two households or feeling torn between parents” (Bauserman, 2002, p. 99, emphasis added).

Linda Nielsen (2018): Joint versus sole physical custody: Outcomes for children independent of family income or parental conflict, Journal of Child Custody, DOI: 10.1080/15379418.2017.1422414, at page 3

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