WARSHAK – STEMMING THE TIDE OF MISINFORMATION: INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS ON SHARED PARENTING AND OVERNIGHTING

STEMMING THE TIDE OF MISINFORMATION: INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS ON SHARED PARENTING AND OVERNIGHTING

 Richard A. Warshak, Ph.D.*, 2017

The author –  RICHARD A. WARSHAK, PH.D. is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and a clinical, consulting, and research psychologist in private practice. He consults and testifies internationally in child custody proceedings. Through his studies on divorce and custody appearing in 14 books and more than 75 articles, Dr. Warshak has had a broad impact on family law. He studies the psychology of alienated children; children’s involvement in custody disputes; and outcomes of divorce, child custody decisions, stepfamilies, relocations, and parenting plans for young children. Also he develops educational materials and interventions to help understand, prevent, and overcome damaged parent–child relationships. His website, warshak.com, provides resources for family law attorneys and their clients. Dr. Warshak’s book, Divorce Poison: How to Protect Your Family from Bad-mouthing and Brainwashing, is widely regarded as a classic, and is available in e-book, audiobook, and seven foreign editions. The video he co-produced, Welcome Back, Pluto: Understanding, Preventing, and Overcoming Parental Alienation, is used in every state in the U.S. and 26 foreign countries.

ABSTRACT

Warshak, with the review and endorsement of 110 researchers and practitioners, analyzed more than four decades of research and issued a peer-reviewed consensus report on parenting plans for children under four. As intended, the report stemmed a tide of misinformation that was threatening to resurrect myths about infant attachment and child development and enshrine them in professional practice and family law. The list of endorsers and their professional accomplishments reflect the widespread acceptance among scientists of the consensus report’s findings that favor shared parenting and overnighting for young children under normal circumstances. Nearly four years after its publication, the conclusions and recommendations of the Warshak Consensus Report remain supported by science.

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Cite as:

Warshak, R. A. (2017). Stemming the tide of misinformation: International consensus on shared parenting and overnighting. Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 30 (1), in press.

Outline:

INTRODUCTION
– Main Issues
– Background

CURRENT CONSENSUS OF SOCIAL SCIENTISTS ON PARENTING PLANS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

ANALYTIC GAPS BETWEEN SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AND BLANKET RESTRICTIONS
– Gaps Between Research Participants and Custody Litigants
– Gaps Between Methodology and Conclusions
– Gaps Between Data and Interpretation
– Additional Gaps Between Data and Opinions

CONFLICT AND PARENTING PLANS
– Should Parental Conflict Trump Shared Parenting Time ?
– Recommendations to Reduce Children’s Exposure to Parental Conflict

INTERNATIONAL EXPERT CONSENSUS RECOMMENDATIONS

AFTERMATH OF THE CONSENSUS REPORT
– Recent studies
– Reactions to the Warshak Consensus Report
– Misunderstandings of the Warshak Consensus Report

MEANING AND VALUE OF THE WARSHAK CONSENSUS REPORT ENDORSEMENTS

CONCLUSION

Footnotes

Correspondence concerning this article, and requests for the report endorsed by an international consensus of experts, should be addressed to Dr. Warshak at doc@warshak.com  © 2017 by Richard A. Warshak, Ph.D.