Marsha Kline Pruett

Family and legal indicators of child adjustment to divorce among families with young children.

This research used structural equation modeling to examine relations among family dynamics, attorney involvement, and the adjustment of young children (0-6 years) at the time of parental separation. The article presents baseline data (N = 102 nonresidential fathers and N = 110 primary caretaking mothers) from a larger longitudinal study. Results showed that the effects of parental conflict on child outcomes were mediated by paternal involvement, the parent-child relationship, and attorney involvement. A scale assessing parental gatekeeping yielded two significant factors: Spouses Influence on Parenting and Positive View of Spouse. Paternal involvement was related to childrens adaptive behavior, whereas negative changes in parent-child relationships predicted behavior problems. Mothers who experienced greater psychological symptomatology were less likely to utilize an attorney, which in turn predicted greater internalizing problems in their children.

Joint Custody and Shared Parenting: Research and Interventions

Joint custody is a reality for many children of divorce. This article first examines the structure and forms joint custody takes, and then explores what is known about shared parenting from research that is relevant to clinical work with families of divorce. An overview of interventions for children and families of divorce that are relevant to coparenting issues follows, along with what is known about their effectiveness. The final section presents several modes of intervention to assist families in maximizing the effectiveness of shared parenting situations for children and their parents.