THE CONTENT OF DIVORCE EDUCATION PROGRAMS

A survey was conducted to assess the content coverage of more than 100 divorce education programs for parents in North America. Fifty-six percent of the programs were mandatory for at least some categories of divorcing parents. Results showed that the most intensively covered topics involved the effects of divorce on children and the benefits of parental cooperation. Moderate coverage was devoted to skills acquisition, such as conflict management and parenting, and to the effects of divorce on parents. Minimal coverage was devoted to "nuts and bolts" and legal issues. The results are discussed in terms of issues likely to emerge as a result of this content coverage.     

PARENT EDUCATION AFTER SEPARATION/DIVORCE

As part of a Canadian best practices evaluation of parent education for divorcing parents, this study assessed program effects on postseparation parenting. Statistically significant changes from pretest to 4 to 6 month follow-up were evident on all scales related to conflict between former partners, whereas changes related to positive and cooperative parenting were less conclusive. All parents experienced a reduction in conflict that places children in the middle of the conflict by the follow-up stage. Low-moderate-conflict parents experienced more increases in adaptive parenting.     

A REVIEW OF ONLINE DIVORCE EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Divorce education programs first surfaced over four decades ago. Today, many states mandate parents to participate in a divorce education program before their dissolution can be finalized. Changes in the technological landscape have allowed innovative practitioners to create online divorce education programs, yet these programs have not been formally evaluated for quality. Adapting a research design for evaluating face‐to‐face programs, we created an online divorce education review form and reviewed online divorce education programs that parents use to meet court‐mandated requirements. Results reveal that online programs have significant potential to help divorcing parents, yet there are areas of online program content and instructional strategies that can be improved. Program content that includes legal and court focused topics or modules, or that offer advice for families facing special circumstances such as domestic violence, could be enhanced. Additionally, most of the instructional strategies were passive. With this research, recommendations were made for improving program content and instructional strategies for online divorce education programs.     

DOES MANDATORY DIVORCE EDUCATION FOR PARENTS WORK?

In a court-mandated, child-focused class for divorcing parents, parental mastery of skills taught were evaluated both immediately after the class and 6 months later. Parents perceived the classes to be realistic and useful. Skills were effectively learned and were maintained over the evaluation period. Parents reported that they were successful in dramatically lowering exposure of their children to parental conflict. Relative to a comparison group of parents divorcing the year before the classes were initiated, parents completing the class were better able to work through how they would handle difficult child-related situations with their ex-spouses and were willing to let their children spend more time with the other parent. Few gender differences were observed—mothers perceived the class as more realistic; fathers showed greater improvement on some skills. Similarly, interest level in further training was not predictive of class benefits, suggesting that enthusiasm for parenting training is probably not essential.     

1998 NATIONWIDE SURVEY OF COURT-CONNECTED DIVORCE EDUCATION PROGRAMS

This second nationwide survey of 3,118 counties and independent cities indicates that 1,516 counties or cities in the United States currently have education programs available for divorcing parents. This is in contrast to results from a 1993–1994 study in which 541 counties had programs available, and is an increase of 180%. Comparisons are made between programs that are mandated and not mandated by the court or state and between court-provided and community-provided programs. Curriculum, format, funding, and evaluation efforts of programs are summarized. A typical program is described, and implications of the findings for program developers and court systems are included.     

THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF DIVORCE

This article objectively reviews the effects of divorce on the financial well-being of families. Women and children suffer disparities in income, but the differences are not as great as publicized in other studies and diminish with remarriage. The absence of marriage, not the presence of divorce, is the major cause of poverty for women.     

DIVORCE EDUCATION FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN IN JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI

This article outlines the implementation of a children's component of a court-connected, mandatory divorce education program in Jackson County, Missouri. The efforts made to include significant stakeholders in the planning and implementation process are described. The curriculum for adults and children is summarized, and the structure and administration of the program are presented. Class provider recruitment and teacher qualifications are presented, as well as an overview of the initial responses to the children's classes. The difficulties and successes described may give direction to others considering the inclusion of children in mandatory divorce education classes.