High-conflict custody disputes as perceived by young adults who were the child in dispute

Abstract

Divorce is a prevalent life-changing event for parents and children that may negatively impact children’s well-being. Parenting time arrangements are crucial for the lives of both children and parents; therefore, examining the influence on young adults who sometimes, as children, cannot speak or think about those influences is critical. The study’s main objective was to explore how young adults who were formerly “the child in dispute” position themselves in their narratives and how they construct their past experiences. Twenty young adults were interviewed about their past experiences and current perspectives on its outcomes. According to van Manen’s principles, the interviews were analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The three main themes that emerged were as follows: living under the shadow of parental conflict, coping strategies with the continuous conflict, and the professionals’ roles in the custody dispute.

Keywords:

• Custody dispute
• domestic violence
• former child in dispute voice
• social workers’ role

Ethical approval

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation at Ashkelon Academic College (approval number 758-22), subsequently approved by Tel Hai College. The study adhered to the principles outlined in the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients before their inclusion in the study.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.