Child POV
Taking a Family Prism Approach©
Why is this important?
In child custody matters, each family member has a unique perspective and varying experiences.
The three most important individuals see things differently.
The complexities of the family court demonstrate and the way to meet the needs of each person could benefit from taking the Family Prism Approach.
It is imperative to take into account various factors, take a child-centered approach, and analyze all aspects of the situation to ensure that court rulings are made in the best interest of the child.
- Some court matters are contentious, involving parent-child contact problems (PCCP) (Garber, 2020; Pruett et al., 2023), which can encompass numerous issues that influence the parent-child dynamic.
- The causes of the PCCP may stem from court-associated or parent-specific circumstances, including domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) (Sullivan et al., 2024).
- The child also may also be dealing with unresolved trauma due to witnessing or experiencing DV or IPV (Deutsch et al., 2020; Sullivan et al., 2024).
Family Prism insight
The Family Prism Approach identifies the needs and experiences of the family members while considering the rulings of family court and potential options for helping each member of the family.
Importantly, taking a Family Prism Approach could reveal critical factors to understand the situation for each individual.
For example...
- A child may prefer to spend more time with one parent for varying reasons.
- One parent may have a higher income or more resources, a flexible work schedule, or who lives closer to the child’s school or social network and thus be less disruptive to their routine (Garber, 2020; Neilson, 2018a; O'Brien, 2021).
- One parent may have a flexible work schedule, or who lives closer to the child’s school or social network and thus be less disruptive to their routine (Garber, 2020; Neilson, 2018a; O'Brien, 2021).
- Other factors may include a parent who is struggling with mental or physical health problems, or is deemed as lacking sufficient parenting skills by court professionals (Neilson, 2018b).
- Grandparents, aunts, and uncles who regularly see the child might
- Ascribing a child’s emotional reaction to leaving one parent as not wanting to go to their other parent could be interpreted as a “resist-refusal” behavior, potentially impacting court rulings (Garber, 2020) and leading to negative outcomes for the child (Judge & Deutsch, 2016; Warshak, 2020).
In essence...
The ultimate goal is to promote the child’s well-being and provide appropriate professional support to foster healthy parent-child relationships.
Research shows...
Spending time together can significantly influence parent-child relationships amid family court matters (Baker & Ben-Ami, 2011; Baker & Verrocchio, 2015). Additionally, the co-parenting arrangements arising from family court rulings can make a difference in the child’s overall well-being, either positively or negatively.
What is the Family Prism Approach
Points of View in Family Court
Points of View in Family Court
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Family court matters influence the everyday lives of family members at multiple levels. This article outlines the situations that many families experience.