ASSISTING CHILDREN THROUGH TRANSITION:Helping Parents Protect Their Children From the Toxic Effects of Ongoing Conflict in the Aftermath of Divorce |
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| Authors: | JoAnne Pedro-Carroll Ellen Nakhnikian Guillermo Montes |
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| Institution: | JoAnne Pedro-Carrol, Ph.D., is the driector of program development at Children's Institute and associate professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Rochester. She is the founder and director of the Children of Divorce Intervention Program, an award winning prevention program for kindergarten through eight grade children dealing with the challenge of family disruption. In 1997, she developed A.C.T.- For the Children in collaboration with the Seventh Judicial District of New York. A fellow of the American Psychological Association, she is the 2001 recipient of APA's Award for Distinguished Contribution to Public Service, and the Stanley Cohen Distinguished Research Award from the AFCC.;Ellen Nakhnikian, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Rochester, New York, who specializes in child and family problems, including divorce. She is a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical School. she is on the advisory board of A.C.T. - For the Children.;Guillermo Montes, Ph.D., is an economist specializing in children's issues. He is the director of research and evaluation for the Children's Institute. He teaches quantitative analysis at the Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development of the University of Rochester. |
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| Abstract: | The negative effects of prolonged interparental conflict on children are well documented. This article describes a preventive intervention designed to help separating parents to (a) reduce the stress of a breakup on their children and (b) learn skills for protecting them from the toxic effects of ongoing conflict. Assisting Children through Transition-(A.C.T.) For the Children is based on a risk and resilience model emphasizing skills training and effective parenting practices. Post-program results from 609 participants indicate that the majority of male and female participants reported an increased awareness of the deleterious effects of interparental conflict on children and learned skills for protecting children from ongoing conflict. Most participants reported firm intentions to continue to use skills for reducing conflict with a former spouse and to support their children's healthy relationship with both parents. Study limitations, directions for future research, and implications for legal and mental health practitioners are discussed. |
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