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Why the Government is wrong about shared parenting legislation

It was Joseph Goldstein, Albert Solnit and Anna Freud who proposed handing all authority over a child to just one parent, ‘the non-custodial parent should have no legally enforceable right to visit the child, and the custodial parent should have the right to decide whether it is desirable for the child to have such visits’. Which parent should be the custodial one was to be decided by drawing lots. It’s one way to eliminate conflict, the other is to share parenting. Zoe seems to think that shared parenting has never been tried before in any other jurisdiction – other than Australia – but it has, and where it has been tried the evidence is that domestic violence does not increase – it falls. Martin Halla, writing last year, found a drop of 20%. Raising children without fathers has a serious impact on domestic violence. In boys it increases the likelihood that they will commit violent crimes, including rape; in girls it increases the likelihood they will both be perpetrators and victims – fatherless girls are 9 times more likely to be raped (something Mumsnet might like to include in their new campaign). Peter Hill notes that feminists tend to dismiss evidence and promote fear instead; Dr Linda Nielson remarked on this in 2010, observing that where there is a lack of research evidence there is a tendency for courts and others to rely on the fear of what MIGHT happen to children in shared arrangements rather than the knowledge of what ACTUALLY happens in sole maternal custody. Let’s have some evidence-based arguments from lawyers for a change. Meanwhile, I’m off to plant some flaming crosses on someone’s lawn, just so Zoe can have the evidence for her recent Tweet which otherwise would be entirely lacking.

13-Mar-2012

8:02 pm