News study : 1/3 of children lose contact with a parent
Friday, December 04, 2009
A new UK study of 2000 parents and 2000 children has shown:
- up to 1 in 3 children have lost permanent touch with one parent, usually their dad
- 50% of parents admitted haggling over the amount of time the children spent, usually unnecessarily
- 49% of parents admitted drawing out the proceedings until they got what they wanted
- 68% of parents admitted using their children as bargaining tools
- 20% of parents admitted using the proceedings to make their ex’es lives as unpleasant as possible regardless of the effect on the children’s feelings
- 50% of the children said that their views were ignored by their parents
- 42% of children had witnessed aggressive fights between their parents
- 17% of children had witnessed violent fights
- 25% of children had been forced to lie by their parents
The survey, undertaken by independent analysts, was on behalf of leading law firm Mishcon de Raya, to mark the 20th anniversary of that country’s Children’s Act.
The firm has called for the equivalent of Family Relationship Centres to try and remove some of the bitterness and come up with a better outcome for children.
The firm has acted in some celebrity divorces, including acting for Princess Diana.
For more about the survey:
