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Parents – divorce – separation – high-conflict
Resources
Dimensions of conflict for separated families index: an index for family courts / BIRNBAUM,
Rachel; MCCLEARY, Lynn; SAINI, Michael; BALA, Nicholas;
In: Children and Youth Services Review 88; May 2018, pp.191-196
Many services and interventions focus on assisting separated families experiencing high conflict. Yet,
little research has focussed on identifying and distinguishing levels of conflict. This research tested
reliability and validity of an Index based on assessing 15 dimensions of conflict typical of high conflict
in separation. Seventy-seven mothers and 47 fathers receiving services from family courts or social
service agencies were assessed by two raters for inter-rater reliability. Internal consistency was high,
with Cronbach's alpha = 0.94 (mothers) and 0.96 (fathers). Inter-rater reliability was high, with ICC =
0.85 (mothers) and 0.83 (fathers). Preliminary evidence of validity was found comparing scores on the
index to scores on the Conflict Tactics Scale and the Ahron's Quality of Coparenting Communication
Scale.
Risk regulation in high-conflict parenting: / AMUNDSON, Jon; SHORT, Jennifer;
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 59(6), 2018, pp.528-537
That “there is no gathering of roses without risking the thorns” might be the simplest way to think of
the paradox of relationship. Risk regulation as psychological mechanism minimizes rejection (thorns)
and maximizes assurance (roses). In the article, the social psychology of risk regulation is set in the
context of divorce and high-conflict parenting. Risk regulation provides not only guidance for
treatment, but also a conceptual framework for professional opinion in forensic evaluation and legal
consideration.
Domestic violence and high conflict are not the same: A gendered analysis / ARCHER-KUHN,
B;
In: Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law 40(2), 2018, pp.216-233
In child custody decision-making experiences of domestic violence and high conflict are not the same.
Legislative reform has not yet been guided by the parent voice to inform differentiated responses that
keep women and children safe. Available literature in child custody decision-making focuses on
outcome research regarding children’s adjustment and wel -being. Debates about types of post-
separation arrangements have yet to find agreement in three under-researched areas: (a) high
conflict, (b) domestic violence; and (c) children under four. Yet, Canadian legislation supports shared
parenting arrangements that privilege the dominant, powerful parent in situations of domestic
violence. Based on a Canadian study that explores the parent perspectives and experiences of child
custody decision-making, this paper privileges a sub-group of participants; five women, all survivors of
domestic violence; defined here as both physical violence and coercive control. Data collection
includes one-on-one tape-recorded interviews. Thematic analysis reveals that shared parenting is
neither the goal, nor does it meet the needs of these women. The findings illuminate the importance
of differentiating parent experience as distinct groups, and reinforces the notion of the state’s role in
the reproduction of gendered power. Legislative reform and collaborative community practices are
critical to facilitate healthy differentiated responses.
Does shared parenting help or hurt children in high-conflict divorced families? / MAHRER,
Nicole; O'HARA, Karey; SANDLER, Irwin; WOLCHIK, Sharlene;
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 59(4), 2018, pp.324-347
Despite a recent shift in the allocation of parenting time arrangements following divorce, there is no
clear consensus regarding the effects of shared parenting on children’s adjustment in high-conflict
families. We propose key questions and methodological options to increase the ability of results from
well-designed empirical studies to inform practice and policy. We review 11 studies of relations
between parenting time and parenting quality with children’s adjustment in high-conflict divorced
families. Despite heterogeneity of methods used across the studies, some tentative conclusions can
be made based on findings of multiple studies. Higher levels of shared parenting were related to
poorer child adjustment in samples with high conflict many years following the divorce, but typically
not in samples that assessed conflict during the divorcing process or in the 2 or 3 years following the
divorce. There is also evidence that the effects of shared parenting on child adjustment in the
presence of high conflict differs by gender, and that high quality of parenting by at least 1 parent is
associated with better child adjustment in high-conflict divorces. Implications for policy and practice
are discussed as well as directions for research to strengthen the
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knowledge base to inform policy. Family counselling with high-conflict separated parents: Challenges and strategies /
MUTCHLER, Matthew;
In: The Family Journal 25(4), 2017, pp.368-375
When parents separate and divorce, they and their children often suffer dire emotional consequences,
especial y when the parents have a “high-conflict” relationship. When the parents are able to have a
more collaborative relationship, however, outcomes are more positive. Family counseling can be an
excellent resource for these parents, but the literature in this area is sparse. This article reviews a
framework of understanding high conflict in the context of separated parents. After establishing this
base of understanding, common challenges in working with high-conflict separated parents are
presented, along with non model-dependent strategies for meeting these challenges. Case examples
are provided to illustrate both the challenges counselors may face and the strategies that are
suggested for meeting those challenges.
Mentalisation-based therapy for parental conflict - parenting together: an intervention for
parents in entrenched post-separation disputes / HERTZMANN, Leezah; ABSE, Susanna;
TARGET, Mary; GLAUSIUS, Krisztina; NYBERG, Viveka; LASSRI, Dana;
In: Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy 31(2), 2017, pp.195-217
High-conflict relationship dissolution has been shown to cause substantial emotional risk and
psychological harm to children's developmental outcomes. Parents in chronic post separation conflict
who repeatedly use the courts to address their disputes are by nature difficult to engage in therapeutic
services. This paper describes the theoretical and practical key elements of a mentalisation-based
therapeutic intervention, Mentalization-Based Therapy for Parental Conflict - Parenting Together
(MBT-PT), that has been developed in order to address some of the unique challenges that these
parents and the professionals working with them are facing. Specifically, the intervention aims to
reduce anger and hostile conflicts between parents and mitigate the damaging effects of inter-
parental conflict on children. The implementation procedure of the MBT-PT intervention among
parents in entrenched conflict over their children, in the context of a random allocation pilot study, is
briefly described. Next, the MBT-PT intervention is exemplified using clinical examples, followed by
potential implications concerning practice and policy for professionals working with this population of
parents.
Treating high conflict divorce / BARNWELL, Brenda J. & STONE, Mark H.
In: Universal Journal of Psychology 4(2), 2016 pp. 109-115
A model for treating high conflict in divorce is presented because the standard service model typically
mandated is not sufficient to address the high stress dynamics residing in family systems or the self-
concept of parents. The model for treating high conflict emanates from Bowen's family systems model
and Kohut's theory of self-psychology. A strategy for client assessment and program evaluation is
outlined together with an example showing the effectiveness of treatment for one sample of
participants.
Mentalization-based therapy for parents in entrenched conflict, a random allocation feasibility
study/ HERTZMANN, Leezah; TARGET, Mary; HEWISON, David; CASEY, Polly; FEARON,
Pasco; LASSRI, Dana
In: Psychotherapy 53(4), December 2016 388-401
To explore the effectiveness of a mentalization-based therapeutic intervention specifically developed
for parents in entrenched conflict over their children. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first
randomized controlled intervention study in the United
Kingdom to work with both parents post-separation, and the first to focus on mentalization in this
situation. Using a mixed-methods study design, 30 parents were randomly allocated to either
mentalization-based therapy for parental conflict—Parenting Together, or the Parents' Group, a
psycho-educational intervention for separated parents based on elements of the Separated Parents
Information Program--part of the U.K. Family Justice System and approximating to treatment as usual.
Given the challenges of recruiting parents in these difficult circumstances, the sample size was small
and permitted only the detection of
large differences between conditions. The data, involving repeated measures of related individuals,
was explored statistically, using hierarchical linear modeling, and qualitatively. Significant findings
were reported on the main predicted outcomes, with clinically important trends on other measures.
Qualitative findings further contributed to the understanding of parents' subjective experience, pre-
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and posttreatment. Findings indicate that a larger scale randomized controlled trial would be
worthwhile. These encouraging findings shed light on the dynamics maintaining these high-conflict
situations known to be damaging to children. We established that both forms of intervention were
acceptable to most parents, and we were able to operate a random allocation design with extensive
quantitative and qualitative assessments of the kind that would make a larger-scale trial feasible and
productive.
Cognitive-behavioral methods in high-conflict divorce, systematic desensitization adapted to
parent-child reunification interventions/ GARBER, Benjamin
In: Family Court Review 53(1), January 2015 96-112
Children who are triangulated into their parents' conflicts can become polarized, aligning with one
parent and rejecting the other. In response, courts often order families to engage mental health
professionals to provide reunification interventions. This article adapts empirically established
systematic desensitization and flooding procedures most commonly used to treat phobic children as
possible components of a larger family systems invention designed to help the polarized child develop
a healthy relationship with both parents. Strengths and weaknesses of these procedures are
discussed and illustrated with case material.
Children's coping and adjustment in high-conflict homes, the reformulation of emotional
security theory/ DAVIES, Patrick; MARTIN, Meredith
In: Child Development Perspectives 8(4), December 2014 242-249
Repeated exposure to interparental conflict increases children's vulnerability to a range of
psychological problems by undermining their emotional security in the relationship between parents.
However, emotional security theory in its original form lacks the depth and precision to guide
hypotheses regarding individual differences in the nature, precursors, and
sequelae of children's emotional security. In this article, we summarize a reformulated version of the
theory to address this gap. Specifically, we focus on the ways in which the reformulated theory can
elucidate: (a) the nature and developmental implications of systematically characterizing the inner
workings of emotional security as a goal system, (b) the relative potency of family characteristics as
sources of individual differences in children's emotional security, and (c) processes associated with
developmental cascades that account for how and why emotional insecurity is linked to a range of
psychological problems.
The chameleon child, children as actors in the high conflict divorce drama/ GARBER,
Benjamin
In: Journal of Child Custody 11(1), 2014 25-40
Contemporary theory asserts that children become triangulated into their parents' conflicts due to
alienation, estrangement, and enmeshment. These dynamics account for some children's alliance
with one parent and rejection of the other. The present article suggests that the child's innate need to
adapt and the caregivers' corresponding needs for confirmation together create an additional dynamic
that must be considered as part of any family system evaluation. The “chameleon child” engages in
necessary and natural short-term adaptive behaviors at unknown developmental costs. An
observational protocol is described with which evaluators can begin to distinguish among these
dynamics. Case illustrations are provided.
Complex alienation dynamics and very young children/ LUDOLPH, Pamela; BOW, James
In: Journal of Child Custody 9(3), 2012 153-178
Infants and preschoolers living in families beset by alienation dynamics are widely thought to resist
alienation because of their immature emotional and cognitive abilities. Most writers also agree,
however, that these children remain at significant risk for later consolidated alienation if family
circumstances are not expeditiously changed. We address the resiliency and risk of very young
children in the face of alienation, drawing on the literatures of attachment theory, child development,
family systems, cognition, memory, and high conflict divorce. We also explore issues important to a
thorough evaluation in these families and make suggestions as to effective treatments.
High-conflict divorced couples: Combining systemic and psychodynamic perspectives.
Cohen, Orna; Levite, Ziva.
Journal of Family Therapy. Vol.34(4), 2012, pp. 387-402.
This article describes typologies of couples in high-conflict divorces and explores their dynamics
through the prism of family systems and British object relations theories. The article argues that
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couples embroiled in high-conflict divorce often have primitive object relations. They tend to use
splitting and projection processes and find it difficult to tolerate ambivalence or disagreement. Fear of
the ex-spouse's retaliation is often accompanied by fear of their own destructiveness and by a wish to
make reparation. However, it seems that reparation attempts in primitive object relations rarely
achieve reconciliation. A case study demonstrates the complicated dynamics of these couples.
Clinical recommendations are made. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Differentiating alienated from not alienated children: A pilot study / BAKER, Amy J L;
BURKHARD, Barbara; ALBERTSON-KELLY, Jane;
In: Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 53(3), 2012, pp.178-193
The subjects of this study were 40 consecutive children in a child therapy and evaluation agency, half
of whom were seen for reunification therapy and half for other reasons related to parent–child
difficulties in the context of high-conflict divorce. Children completed a 28-item paper-and-pencil
questionnaire regarding their thoughts and feelings about their parents to assess the degree to which
their statements reflected unjustified alienation from one parent and alignment with the other.
Responses to the questionnaires were coded by the first author as reflective of alienation or not. Case
files were independently reviewed by agency staff for presence of indicated abuse, and clinicians
independently rated the children's resistance to treatment services. Findings revealed that presence
of alienation was found in all but one reunification therapy case and in only four of the nonreunification
cases. In addition, the children who were coded as exhibiting alienation were rated by their clinicians
as significantly more resistant to treatment. Only one alienated child had an indicated abuse or
neglect finding in the file, as opposed to five in the not-alienated group. These data highlight the
unique configuration of behaviors and attitudes of alienated children and contribute to the knowledge
base about how to evaluate and identify them.
Parental alienation and the dynamics of the enmeshed parent-child dyad, adultification,
parentification, and
infantilization/ GARBER, Benjamin
In: Family Court Review 49(2), April 2011 322-335
When caregivers conflict, systemic alliances shift and healthy parent-child roles can be corrupted. The
present paper describes three forms of role corruption which can occur within the enmeshed dyad
and as the common complement of alienation and estrangement. These include the child who is
prematurely promoted to serve as a parent's ally and partner, the child who is inducted into service as
the parent's caregiver, and the child whose development is inhibited by a parent who needs to be
needed. These dynamics—adultification, parentification and infantilization, respectively—are each
illustrated with brief case material. Family law professionals and clinicians alike are encouraged to
conceptualize these dynamics as they occur within an imbalanced family system and thereby to craft
interventions which intend to re-establish healthy roles. Some such interventions are reviewed and
presented as one part of the constellation of services necessary for the triangulated child.
Toward the differentiation of high-conflict families, an analysis of the social science research
and Canadian case law/ BIRNBAUM, Rachel; BALA, Nicholas
In: Family Court Review 48(3), July 2010 403-416
Social science research and the courts have begun to recognize the special challenges posed by
"high-conflict" separations for children and the justice system. The use of "high conflict" terminology
by social science researchers and the courts has increased dramatically over the past decade. This is
an important development, but the term is often used vaguely and to characterize very different types
of cases. An analysis of Canadian case law reveals that some judges are starting to differentiate
between various degrees and types of high conflict. Often this judicial differentiation is implicit and
occurs without full articulation of the factors that are taken into account in applying different remedies.
There is a need for the development of more refined, explicit analytical concepts for the identification
and differentiation of various types of high conflict cases. Empirically driven social science research
can assist mental health professionals, lawyers and the courts in better understanding these cases
and providing the most appropriate interventions. As a tentative scheme for differentiating cases, we
propose distinguishing between high conflict cases where there is: (1) poor communication; (2)
domestic violence; and (3) alienation. Further, there must be a differentiation between cases where
one parent is a primary instigator for the conflict or abuse, and those where both parents bear
significant responsibility.
Parental alienation, DSM-V, and ICD-11: / BERNET, William; VON BOCH-GALHAU, Wilfrid;
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BAKER, Amy J L; MORRISON, Stephen L.;
In: American Journal of Family Therapy 38(2), 2010, pp.76-187
Parental alienation is an important phenomenon that mental health professionals should know about
and thoroughly understand, especially those who work with children, adolescents, divorced adults,
and adults whose parents divorced when they were children. We define parental alienation as a
mental condition in which a child—usually one whose parents are engaged in a high-conflict divorce—
allies himself or herself strongly with one parent (the preferred parent) and rejects a relationship with
the other parent (the alienated parent) without legitimate justification. This process leads to a tragic
outcome when the child and the alienated parent, who previously had a loving and mutually satisfying
relationship, lose the nurture and joy of that relationship for many years and perhaps for their
lifetimes. The authors of this article believe that parental alienation is not a minor aberration in the life
of a family, but a serious mental condition. The child's maladaptive behavior—refusal to see one of
the parents—is driven by the false belief that the alienated parent is a dangerous or unworthy person.
We estimate that 1% of children and adolescents in the U.S. experience parental alienation. When the
phenomenon is properly recognized, this condition is preventable and treatable in many instances.
There have been scores of research studies and hundreds of scholarly articles, chapters, and books
regarding parental alienation. Although we have located professional publications from 27 countries
on six continents, we agree that research should continue regarding this important mental condition
that affects hundreds of thousands of children and their families. The time has come for the concept
of parental alienation to be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth
Edition (DSM-V), and the International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Edition (ICD-11).
Defining high conflict: / ANDERSON, Shayne; ANDERSON, Stephen;
In: American Journal of Family Therapy 39(1), 2010, pp.11-27
The term high conflict is used regularly across various literatures; such as divorce, family court, and
psychotherapy; to describe relationships that are mired in conflict. Despite its widespread use, the
term has not been precisely defined in a clinically meaningful way. This article offers a definition of
high conflict based on a synthesis of previous literatures related to high conflict, observations of court
personnel, and the authors’ own clinical experiences working with this population. A case study
illustrates the pervasive negative exchanges and hostile insecure emotional environment that
characterize these couples. The implications of this definition for clinical practice are also discussed.
Overcoming Barriers Family Camp: A program for high-conflict divorced families where a child
is resisting contact with a parent. [References].
Sullivan, Matthew J; Ward, Peggie A; Deutsch, Robin M.
Family Court Review. Vol.48(1), 2010, pp. 116-135.
Overcoming Barriers Family Camp is an innovative program designed to treat separating and
divorced families where a child is resisting contact or totally rejecting a parent. Both parents,
significant others, and children participate in a 5-day family camp experience that combines psycho-
education and clinical intervention in a safe, supportive milieu. This article describes the components
of the program, from referrals to intake to aftercare. Evaluation immediately following the camp
experience is provided for the camps that ran in 2008 and 2009, and 6-month follow-up interview
information is provided for the 2008 camp program as well as 1-month follow-up about the initiation of
aftercare with the 2009 families. A discussion of the strengths and challenges of this approach with
entrenched, high-conflict family systems concludes the article. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016
APA, all rights reserved)
Conceptualizing visitation resistance and refusal in the context of parental conflict, separation,
and divorce/ GARBER, Benjamin
In: Family Court Review 45(4), October 2007 588-599
A child's visitation resistance and refusal (VRR) in the context of parental separation, divorce, and
post-divorce litigation must not prematurely be interpreted as evidence of alienation, a conclusion
which can be as detrimental to the family system as it is ill founded. The present article proposes a
child-centered, developmentally informed heuristic with which forensic evaluators might begin to more
uniformly approach the potential causes of and remedies for VRR. An attachment-based, step-wise
decision tree is described together with an overview of the remedies presently believed most
appropriate to each. Recommendations for empirical study of the multiple convergent dynamics which
determine VRR and establishment of corresponding interventions follow.
Family systems theory, attachment theory, and culture/ ROTHBAUM, Fred; ROSEN, Karen
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In: Family Process 41(3), Autumn 2002 328-350
Family systems theory and attachment theory have important similarities and complementarities. Here
we consider two areas in which the theories converge: (a) in family system theorists’ description of an
overly close, or “enmeshed,” mother-child dyad, which attachment theorists conceptualize as the
interaction of children’s ambivalent attachment and mothers’ preoccupied attachment; (b) in family
system theorists’ description of the “pursuer-distance cycle” of marital conflict, which attachment
theorists conceptualize as the interaction of preoccupied and dismissive partners. We briefly review
family systems theory evidence, and more extensively review attachment theory evidence, pertaining
to these points of convergence. We also review cross-cultural research, which leads us to conclude
that the dynamics described in both theories reflect, in part, Western ways of thinking and Western
patterns of relatedness. Evidence from Japan suggests that extremely close ties between mother and
child are perceived as adaptive, and are more common, and that children experience less adverse
effects from such relationships than do children in the West. Moreover, in Japan there is less
emphasis on the importance of the exclusive spousal relationship, and less need for the mother and
father to find time alone to rekindle romantic, intimate feelings and to resolve conflicts by openly
communicating their differences. Thus, the “maladaptive” pattern frequently cited by Western theorists
of an extremely close mother-child relationship, an unromantic, conflictual marriage characterized by
little verbal communication and a peripheral, distant father, may function very differently in other
cultures. While we believe that both theories will be
greatly enriched by their integration, we caution against the application of either theory outside the
cultures in which they were developed.
The role of sibling support in high-conflict families: / CAYA, Michelle; LIEM, Joan;
In: American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 68(2), April 1998, pp.327-333
Effects of sibling support on the relationship between family conflict and individual psychological
adjustment was explored in a sample of university students. Those from high-conflict homes with high
sibling support reported more positive adjustment than did only-children and individuals with low
sibling support. Sibling support was not associated with greater adjustment in low-conflict homes, thus
reinforcing its potential benefits as a buffer to stress.
Family members as third parties in dyadic family conflict, strategies, alliances and outcomes/
VUCHINICH, Samuel; EMERY, Robert; CASSIDY, Jude
In: Child Development 59(5), 1988 1293-1302
Systems theorists have argued that triads rather than dyads need to be considered as a basic
interaction unit, particularly in regard to episodes of conflict. While theoretically appealing, the
description of the strategies used and alliances formed when third parties intervene in dyadic conflict
presents a number of conceptual and empirical challenges. In the present report, a reliable system for
coding such third-party participation in verbal conflicts is described and is used to analyze routine
family conflicts that were observed during dinner. A number of specific findings of interest are
reported, including that girls were more likely than boys to intervene in all family disputes except
marital conflicts, that mothers and fathers rarely sided against each other when intervening as third
parties, and that the third-party strategies most commonly used corresponded with family roles:
fathers used authority strategies, mothers used mediational tactics, and children used distraction. Of
greater importance, however, are the general findings that document the influence of third parties on
dyadic conflict. Additional family members frequently joined dyadic family conflicts, they were about
equally likely to attempt to end or to continue the conflict, they formed alliances about half of the time,
and their intervention strategies were related to the outcome of the conflict as well as its patterning.
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