Including Children in Divorce Mediation and Education: Potential Benefits and Cautions

Abstract

Research measuring the effectiveness of divorce-mediation services and divorce-education programs shows that these services and programs help minimize the negative impact of parental divorce on children. The author discusses the benefits of including children in either intervention, concluding that practitioners who facilitate children's communication regarding their perceptions of parental divorce and its aftermath must manage this task with sensitivity and care.

The efficacy of using music in children of divorce groups: Impact on anxiety, depression, and irrational beliefs about divorce.

“…Shechtman and Yanov (2002) suggested that "further exploration of child group process is essential to inform practitioners about the best practices of children, and eventually improve group effectiveness" (p. 2). Gentry (1997) suggested that it was more useful to study the process of children's postdivorce adjustment than to just focus on outcomes as previous studies have done. Future studies also should assess the effectiveness of two modalities of group work for children of divorce as well as examine the group process in terms of group environment and therapeutic factors.…”

Managing Conflict after Marriages End: A Qualitative Study of Narratives of Ex-Spouses

“…Social and legal interactions reinforce this view and may play a role in maintaining and fostering conflict (see also Johnston & Campbell, 1988), despite the negative effects for the well-being of children and adults. Divorce mediation and education are two interventions that have emerged as useful for teaching parents to manage their conflicts constructively (Gentry, 1997). Our hope is that along with extending knowledge about how individuals construct their social realities, our findings suggest ways that family clinicians can help people minimize negative divorce experiences related to conflict, including relitigation (Koel et al, 1994).…”

A Nationwide Survey of Programs for Children of Divorcing and Separating Parents

“…18 They can be found in various contexts, including at the court, at public and private human services agencies, and given at schools by teachers, school social workers and other school support staff during lunch or after hours. 19 Goals for psycho-educational groups have been arranged in the following six categories: "(a) facilitation of feelings, (b) development of coping skills, (c) adjustment to changes, (d) provision of information, (e) normalization of the experience, and (f) provision of support." 20 In a survey of 148 court and community child programs, the survey found that "the typical program is community based .…”