As parents going through divorce, it is important to understand that any action you take can and will affect your child.
Fortunately, this means you can also take actions to make the divorce process easier for them rather than harder. This includes the type of custody you go for.
Studies about joint custody’s impact
The American Psychological Association discusses the impact of joint custody on children of divorce. Over the years, studies have made it clear that joint custody has a positive effect on many of the children who experience it. This particularly stands out against children who experience sole custody, the most common counterpart.
Children of joint custody have fewer reported instances of depression or anxiety. They also have fewer cases of trauma or stress disorders, and the cases reported seem less severe in nature.
These children also have an easier time making bonds in childhood and adulthood, and have healthier relationships as they grow. They tend to have fewer problems with bad coping mechanisms and struggle less with addictions in the future, too.
Who should try something else?
However, joint custody does not work for every family. For example, in some cases, one of the parents wants nothing to do with continued parenting. In other cases, a parent may become unavailable, such as if they end up incarcerated.
In instances where one parent faces accusation of abuse or neglect toward their spouse or child, it is also pertinent to keep them at a distance from the child until matters get sorted legally speaking. Thus, parents in these situations may want to lean on sole custody at least at the start.
Otherwise, joint custody could provide a child with many benefits that any parent would not want them to miss out on.
