How Effective Are Court‐affiliated Divorcing Parents Education Programs? A Meta‐analytic Study

Abstract

In this meta-analytic study, we looked at all empirical studies that examined the effectiveness of court-affiliated divorcing parents education programs (DPEs). Overall, we found that DPEs were generally effective. Nineteen studies with a DPE treatment group and no-treatment control group had an overall significant moderate positive effect (d = .39); those who participated in DPEs were about 50% better off in terms of program outcomes compared to those who did not participate. The studies examined five specific outcomes: co-parenting conflict, parent-child relationships, child well-being, parent well-being, and relitigation; with most of these specific outcomes we found significant moderate effects ranging from d = .19-.61. However, there were important methodological limitations in this body of research, which are discussed. While more research is needed to confirm the positive potential of DPEs, we probably know enough to justify continuing and even increasing support for this recent social policy innovation.

Parental Alienation Among College Students

“…The empirical literature revealing a correlation between parental alienating behavior and adverse child behaviors would help resolve disputes about the legitimacy of parental alienation as a problem worthy of concern. IMPLICATIONS The relatively high incidence of alienating behavior by divorced parents, both fathers and mothers, reported by our subjects suggests the need for effective parent education programs early in the divorce process (Fackrell, Hawkins, & Kay, 2011;Sigal, Sandler, Wolchik, & Braver, 2011). One goal of such programs would be to reduce the extent to which parents expose their children to potentially alienating behavior.…”

Parents Forever: Evaluation of an Online Divorce Education Program

“…For example, as Salem et al (2013) described, "It is highly unlikely that such short programs can accomplish the challenging goal of improving children's adjustment and that creating such expectations is problematic" (p. 136). In contrast, Fackrell et al (2011) reported, "It is noteworthy that brief interventions (< 4 hours of instruction), which are more common for mandated programs, seem to produce nearly equivalent benefits to more intense programs . .…”

“…A recent meta-analysis of divorce education programs affiliated with court systems conducted by Fackrell, Hawkins, and Kay (2011) found that of the 19 studies reviewed that had an intervention group and a control group, divorce education had an overall moderate positive effect size (d = .39). For studies with experimental designs that also examined outcomes for children, divorce education programs had a moderate positive effect size on reported children's outcomes (d = .53).…”

“…As the authors suggested, most of these studies used parental report of their children's behavior, which could be a methodological weakness that calls this finding into question. Other methodological weaknesses that Fackrell et al (2011) highlighted were the need for observational assessments, more long-term follow-up, more randomized control trials (RCTs), and a better exploration of potential moderators of program effectiveness. Sigal, Sandler, Wolchik, and Braver (2011) questioned the evidence of the effectiveness of divorce education programs but ascribed this weakness to the lack of methodological rigor of the existing evaluations, as opposed to inherent flaws in the divorce education model.…”

Separated fathers and the ‘fathers’ rights’ movement

“…First, there is evidence that parent education programs directed at fathers in general have positive effects. Programs for divorcing parents generally have positive effects according to a recent meta-analysis (Fackrell et al, 2011), although some have little or no positive impact on fathers or indeed mothers (Douglas, 2004). Another recent metaanalysis of 16 studies regarding educational programs for resident fathers suggests that they increase father's day-to-day care for children, improve coparenting, improve the quality of the father-child relationship, and lessen child behaviour problems (Holmes et al, 2010).…”