Child Custody Cases
Brenna Jennings
College Composition
Research paper
Unfortunately, the number of divorces is increasing; therefore, there are more and more child custody cases taking place. Many cases can be solved peacefully with just the parents and their lawyers. In these cases, the parents have often times decided what would be in the child’s best interest if a divorce were to happen (Rasul 11). On the other hand, some of the cases get so out of hand they must be taken to court and the background of each parent is looked into. There are many reasons for the case being moved up into the court system, including crimes involved in the case. One such crime is the issue of domestic violence in the household. There are psychologists who believe the emotional …show more content…
Spousal abuse can be devastating because the effect it can have on the victim’s emotions may be enough to make them unfit as a parent. If one parent is emotionally unstable and the other is domestically violent, neither parent is fit to raise the child. In the case of spousal abuse, or any sort of domestic violence, parents are less willing to cooperate when it comes to child custody (Bow and Boxer 1396). This makes deciding with whom the child will live even more difficult. To ensure the child’s well-being is the main priority, they should be placed in a safe home with people who are indeed fit to care for a child. If an abused spouse is so emotionally wrecked that he or she cannot sufficiently care for their child, it can be a tragedy to have to remove a child from their parents care. Children are dependent on the love and care provided by their parents. If these abilities are hindered because of emotional trauma, not only does the spouse suffer, but the child does as well. It is difficult enough to raise a child, but the added toll of being emotionally incapacitated makes it near impossible to do so. There are a few options for living situations for children with divorced parents. A parent that has legal custody is the one that gets to make major life decisions for the child. While physical custody is the amount of time a child actually spends with their parents. Finally, split custody deals with divorced families …show more content…
and Paul Boxer. “Assessing Allegations of Domestic Violence in Child Custody Evaluations.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Volume 18:12 (2003). 1394-1410. Print.
Emery, Robert E., Randy K. Otto, and William T. O’Donohue. “A Critical Assessment of Child Custody Evaluations: Limited Science and a Flawed System.” American Psychological Society. Volume 6:1 (2005): 1-25. Print.
Meier, Joan S. “Domestic Violence, Child Custody, and Child Protection: Understanding Judicial Resistance and Imagining the Solutions.” Journal of Gender, Social Policy, and the Law. Volume 11:2 (2003). 658-725. Print.
Putnam, Frank W. “Ten-Year Research Update Review: Child Sexual Abuse.” American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Volume 42:3 (2003). 269-276. Print.
Rasul, Imran. “The Economics of Child Custody.” Economica. Volume 73 (2006): 1-25. Print.
Spencer, Naomi. Child Deaths from Abuse and Neglect Rise in the US. World Socialist Web Site, 28 October 2009. Web. 14 May 2013.
Varcoe, Colleen and Lori G. Irwin. “’If I Killed you, I’d Get the Kids’: Women’s Survival and Protection Work with Child Custody and Access in the Context of Woman Abuse”. Qualitative Sociology. Volume 27:1 (Spring 2004): 77-95.
College Composition
Research paper
Unfortunately, the number of divorces is increasing; therefore, there are more and more child custody cases taking place. Many cases can be solved peacefully with just the parents and their lawyers. In these cases, the parents have often times decided what would be in the child’s best interest if a divorce were to happen (Rasul 11). On the other hand, some of the cases get so out of hand they must be taken to court and the background of each parent is looked into. There are many reasons for the case being moved up into the court system, including crimes involved in the case. One such crime is the issue of domestic violence in the household. There are psychologists who believe the emotional …show more content…
Spousal abuse can be devastating because the effect it can have on the victim’s emotions may be enough to make them unfit as a parent. If one parent is emotionally unstable and the other is domestically violent, neither parent is fit to raise the child. In the case of spousal abuse, or any sort of domestic violence, parents are less willing to cooperate when it comes to child custody (Bow and Boxer 1396). This makes deciding with whom the child will live even more difficult. To ensure the child’s well-being is the main priority, they should be placed in a safe home with people who are indeed fit to care for a child. If an abused spouse is so emotionally wrecked that he or she cannot sufficiently care for their child, it can be a tragedy to have to remove a child from their parents care. Children are dependent on the love and care provided by their parents. If these abilities are hindered because of emotional trauma, not only does the spouse suffer, but the child does as well. It is difficult enough to raise a child, but the added toll of being emotionally incapacitated makes it near impossible to do so. There are a few options for living situations for children with divorced parents. A parent that has legal custody is the one that gets to make major life decisions for the child. While physical custody is the amount of time a child actually spends with their parents. Finally, split custody deals with divorced families …show more content…
and Paul Boxer. “Assessing Allegations of Domestic Violence in Child Custody Evaluations.” Journal of Interpersonal Violence. Volume 18:12 (2003). 1394-1410. Print.
Emery, Robert E., Randy K. Otto, and William T. O’Donohue. “A Critical Assessment of Child Custody Evaluations: Limited Science and a Flawed System.” American Psychological Society. Volume 6:1 (2005): 1-25. Print.
Meier, Joan S. “Domestic Violence, Child Custody, and Child Protection: Understanding Judicial Resistance and Imagining the Solutions.” Journal of Gender, Social Policy, and the Law. Volume 11:2 (2003). 658-725. Print.
Putnam, Frank W. “Ten-Year Research Update Review: Child Sexual Abuse.” American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Volume 42:3 (2003). 269-276. Print.
Rasul, Imran. “The Economics of Child Custody.” Economica. Volume 73 (2006): 1-25. Print.
Spencer, Naomi. Child Deaths from Abuse and Neglect Rise in the US. World Socialist Web Site, 28 October 2009. Web. 14 May 2013.
Varcoe, Colleen and Lori G. Irwin. “’If I Killed you, I’d Get the Kids’: Women’s Survival and Protection Work with Child Custody and Access in the Context of Woman Abuse”. Qualitative Sociology. Volume 27:1 (Spring 2004): 77-95.