The Scientific Basis of Child Custody Decisions, Second Edition -- Contents -- Preface -- Preface to the Second Edition -- Introduction -- References -- Contributors -- Chapter 1: From Empirical Findings to Custody Evaluations -- FACTS -- THE EVALUATION OF STUDIES -- ASSESSING THE CONTENT OF SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS -- APPLYING EMPIRICAL STUDIES TO PARTICULAR CASES -- BIAS AND ITS SOURCES -- THE GOALS AND STANDARDS OF EVALUATION -- RELEVANCE AND HELPFULNESS -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 2: Legal and Ethical Issues in Child Custody Evaluations -- HELPFULNESS, ASSISTANCE, AND EXPERTISE -- ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS -- MALPRACTICE AND DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS -- CONCLUSION -- NOTE -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 3: Observations of Parents, Caretakers, and Children for Child Custody Assessment -- USEFULNESS OF PARENTING OBSERVATIONS -- DEMAND FOR OBSERVATIONS VERSUS VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY CONCERNS -- MEASURES AVAILABLE IN THE CLINICAL LITERATURE -- MEASURES AVAILABLE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL LITERATURE -- HOME VISITS AND OBSERVATIONAL ISSUES -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 4: Use of Psychological Tests in Child Custody Evaluations -- CONCEPTUAL MODEL GUIDING PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT IN CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATIONS -- ADMINISTRATION ISSUES -- DISTINGUISHING TESTS FROM OTHER CREATURES -- PSYCHOMETRICS -- TESTING MANUAL AND TESTING MATERIALS -- SELECTING TESTS FOR CUSTODY EVALUATIONS -- ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS -- ADDITIONAL PRACTICAL STEPS -- GENERAL PROBLEMS WITH TESTS IN CUSTODY EVALUATION -- ADMINISTRATION AND SCORING -- CONCLUSION -- NOTES -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 5: An Updated Review of the Effects of System and Estimator Variables on Child Witness Accuracy in Custody Cases -- ESTIMATOR VARIABLES -- SYSTEM VARIABLES -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 6: The Importance of Attachment in Custody Evaluations: Toward the Best Interest of the Child.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND -- THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTACHMENT AND PARENT AND CHILD CONTRIBUTIONS -- DISORDERS OF ATTACHMENT -- THE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE ON ATTACHMENT ACROSS DEVELOPMENT -- THE ASSESSMENT OF ATTACHMENT -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 7: Improving the Quality of Parent-Child Contact in Separating Families with Infants and Young Children: Empirical Research Foundations -- THE DEVELOPMENT OF PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS -- THE EFFECTS OF PARENTAL SEPARATION OR DIVORCE -- MINIMIZING THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE -- RESTRICTING CONTACT IN RESPONSE TO MARITAL CONFLICT -- INTERVENTIONS THAT PROMOTE CHILDREN'S RESILIENCY -- CONCLUSION -- NOTE -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 8: Divorce, Custody, and Visitation in Middle Childhood -- DEVELOPMENT DURING THE PRESCHOOL AND MIDDLE CHILDHOOD YEARS -- THE CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATION IN EARLY AND MIDDLE CHILDHOOD -- VISITATION -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 9: Custody Evaluations of Adolescents -- ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT AND DIVORCE -- ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS TO BE ASSESSED -- PREFERENCE -- PARENTING ASSESSMENT -- ADDRESSING PARENTING ISSUES CREATED BY DIVORCE -- REOPENING CUSTODY -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 10: Adopted Children and Custody Arrangements -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 11: Medically Ill Children and Adolescents -- NATURE OF THE ILLNESS -- CONCEPTUAL UNDERPINNINGS: STRESS, SELF-EFFICACY, AND COPING -- MEDICAL TREATMENT ADHERENCE -- STRATEGIES EMPLOYED TO OPTIMIZE ADHERENCE -- APPROPRIATENESS OF HEALTH SERVICE UTILIZATION AND MEDICAL ADHERENCE -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 12: Parental Sexual Orientation, Social Science Research, and Child Custody Decisions -- OVERVIEW OF CHILD CUSTODY DETERMINATIONS INVOLVING PARENTAL SEXUAL ORIENTATION -- RESEARCH ON PARENTAL SEXUAL ORIENTATION, PARENTING, AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT -- SEXUAL IDENTITY -- OTHER ASPECTS OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.

SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS -- IMPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH FOR LEGAL DECISION MAKING IN CHILD CUSTODY MATTERS -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 13: Child Custody Evaluations of Parents with Major Psychiatric Disorders -- PARENTHOOD AND THE GENESIS OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY -- PARENTHOOD AND CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY -- THE IMPACT OF PARENTAL MENTAL ILLNESS ON CHILDREN: GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS -- RISK AND VULNERABILITY AMONG OFFSPRING OF PSYCHIATRICALLY ILL PARENTS -- SCHIZOPHRENIC PARENTS AND THEIR OFFSPRING -- PARENTS WITH BIPOLAR AND UNIPOLAR DEPRESSION: PARENTAL PREOCCUPATION AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT -- FROM A FOCUS ON RISK TO A FOCUS ON RESILIENCE AMONG OFFSPRING OF TROUBLED PARENTS -- CONCLUSION -- APPENDIX: PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSIS -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 14: Child Adjustment and High-Conflict Divorce -- IMPACT OF CONFLICT PREDIVORCE AND POSTDIVORCE -- CONFLICT-RELATED FACTORS THAT AFFECT CHILD ADJUSTMENT -- PREMARITAL CONFLICT VERSUS SEPARATION-ENGENDERED CONFLICT AS A PREDICTOR OF ADJUSTMENT -- PARENTING AND THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP -- COPING STRATEGIES -- PROTECTIVE FACTORS -- INTERVENTIONS THAT ADDRESS CHILDREN'S RESPONSES TO HIGH CONFLICT -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 15: Evaluating Child Sexual Abuse Allegations -- INCIDENCE OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS IN CONTESTED CUSTODY MATTERS -- THE ROLE OF THE FORENSIC EVALUATOR IN CHILD CUSTODY CASES WITH ALLEGATIONS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE -- CHILDREN'S BEHAVIORS MISCONSTRUED AS INDICATORS OF SEXUAL ABUSE -- CHILDREN'S NORMATIVE BEHAVIORS AND MENTAL DISORDERS -- RELIABILITY OF PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS AND PROFESSIONALS' DECISION MAKING -- THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEMORY -- CHILDREN'S SUGGESTIBILITY -- INTERVIEWING CHILDREN -- CONCLUSION -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 16: Rejection in Cases of Abuse or Alienation in Divorcing Families -- THE CONTEXTS OF REJECTION AND ALIENATION.

PARENTAL ALIENATION: SYNDROME OR COMPLEX GROUP OF BEHAVIORS -- CHILDREN MAY REJECT PARENTS FOR REASONS OTHER THAN ALIENATION -- MAKING DECISIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS IN ALIENATION CASES -- A MORE SOPHISTICATED CONCEPTUALIZATION OF ALIENATION AND ABUSE -- INTERVENTION -- NOTE -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 17: Joint Custody: A Judicious Choice for Families-But How, When, and Why? -- HISTORICAL BACKGROUND -- DEFINITIONS AND APPLICATIONS -- DISTRIBUTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH CUSTODY STATUS -- APPLICATIONS: FROM LEGAL STATUS TO LIVING ARRANGEMENTS -- OVERVIEW OF SELECTED RESEARCH -- CONCLUSION: CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN EMPIRICAL KNOWLEDGE AND LEGAL DECISION MAKING -- REFERENCES -- Chapter 18: Conclusions and Prospects -- REFERENCES -- Author Index -- Subject Index.

The legal system requires mental health professionals to provide research summaries to support their evaluations in child custody cases. Contributions from leading developmental researchers, legal professionals, and clinicians describe how scientific evidence is properly used in court. Timely and current, this book helps evaluators access the best information to fulfill their obligations to their clients and the court. The Second Edition adds chapters on family observation, parental alienation, and sexual abuse. Forensic psychologists, family lawyers, and judges will be equipped with the most current information to aid in custody decisions.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2018. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.