Good to Talk

By Bren Neale and Carol Smart

This report presents some findings from a Nuffield funded study of children's perspectives on post divorce family life. It examines what it means to take the wishes and feelings of children and young people into account when decisions are made about their care, focussing on how this might mean more than simply 'ascertaining their wishes and feelings' in an instrumental fashion as part of law proceedings.

In-depth interviews were conducted with 52 children and young people aged between 5 and 22 who had lived with divorced or separated parents for at least three years.

The findings suggest that being included in decision making in families is crucial to children’s sense of well-being but that participation does not necessarily mean the autonomy to choose arrangements for themselves.

The authors discuss the implications of these results in terms of their application to family law and policy.

Published by Young Voice and available to order at http://www.young-voice.org/publications.asp?id=9