Domestic Violence Within Military Families Probable Says Study

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Recent Study Reveals That Combat Assignments Increase the Probability of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse By Military Members

domestic violence militaryA recent study published by The Review of Economics and Statistics concludes that combat assignments increase the probability of intimate partner domestic violence and child abuse by active-duty military members.  Resul Cesur of the University of Connecticut Finance Department and Joseph J. Sabia of San Diego State University Department of Economics, claim to have produced the first study to consider the effect of war service on domestic violence.  While they admit that several studies exist which explore the effect of war and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder on violent crime in general, they assert that none exist which focus specifically domestic violence. To access the complete study click here.

In their research, the authors looked at the effect of assigning servicemen of identical rank and occupation to combat deployments vs. non-combat deployments. The results indicated that active-duty members who served in combat zones had an increased probability of subsequent domestic violence, as compared to those who were assigned to non-combat areas.  In addition, those who served in combat … Read More... “Domestic Violence Within Military Families Probable Says Study”

Fathers: 5 Ways American Fatherhood is Changing

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Pew Research Statistical Findings Show Fathers Taking Active Role In Home Life

fathers childrenKim Parker, Director of Social Trends Research at Pew Research Center, published a very interesting article on June 15, 2015, in their “Fact Tank” about the changing role of fatherhood in today’s society. Some of the statistical findings were surprising in my mind.

“Today, fathers who live with their children are taking a more active role  in caring for them and helping out around the house. And the ranks of stay-at-home fathers  and single fathers have grown significantly in recent decades. At the same time, more and more children are growing up without a father in the home ”, Parker said.

Here are 5 of the findings she made from reviewing the Pew Research Center reports:

  1. Fewer dads are their family’s sole breadwinner. Among married couples with children under age 18, dual-income households are now the dominant arrangement (60%). In 1960, only one-in-four of these households had two incomes; 70% had a father who worked and a mother who was at home with the kids.
  2. Roles of dads and moms are converging.
Read More... “Fathers: 5 Ways American Fatherhood is Changing”

Child Support and Visitation: Should One Be Dependent Upon The Other?

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Should Child Support Payments And Visitation Rights Remain Independent Of Each Other In Ohio?

Recent New York Ruling Says Child Support And Visitation Are Linked And Dependent Upon One Another

child support visitation ohioAs a general rule, the payment of child support and visitation are two completely, separate issues in the eyes of the Court.  Visitation rights are granted where it is in the “best interest of the child” to have such in place.  They are not dependent upon the amount or payment of child support.  Likewise, child support is determined according to the Child Support Guidelines and has very little to do with visitation.  As a result, paying child support does not entitle a parent to visitation.  And, if a parent has court-ordered visitation, it cannot be withheld because they have failed to pay their child support.   However, in a recent case out of New York, the Appeals Court there held that support payments should have been suspended where the child was not required to abide by the ordered visitation schedule.

In its opinion, (click here to read) the Appellate Division, Second Department, found that Robert Coull … Read More... “Child Support and Visitation: Should One Be Dependent Upon The Other?”

Divorce Book Review: DIVORCE: How to Tell The Kids: A Parent’s Guide to Breaking the News Without Breaking Their Hearts

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Author Vikki Stark Conducts Over 100 Interviews With Children For New Book About Separation And Divorce

divorce children separationVikki Stark, a divorce recovery specialist and a family therapist for over thirty (30) years, published this book in 2015. Her stated purpose in writing the book was to make the “telling” to the children of the news that a family was going to be separating as non-traumatic as possible. To research this subject area, the author conducted over one hundred (100) interviews with children and with adults who were children when their parents separated and divorced. She also interviewed parents who had already done the “telling” to their children to learn about their positive and negative experiences in doing so. Finally, she read and researched many articles written by other professionals in the same field.

The main points from Chapter 1, A Bridge to Your Next Life, are as follows:

  1. You cannot avoid the anger or sorrow that your children may feel; but you can learn skills to reduce the trauma.
  2. You must become “attuned” to your children’s emotions. Attunement means listening carefully to what they are saying, acknowledging and
Read More... “Divorce Book Review: DIVORCE: How to Tell The Kids: A Parent’s Guide to Breaking the News Without Breaking Their Hearts”

Why Aren’t You Getting Help for Your Child?

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child mental health helpThere’s both good and bad news on the status of kids’ mental health in research just published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The good news is that more kids are getting help for their emotional and behavioral problems, with 13.2 percent of children receiving mental health services in 2012 compared to only 9.2 percent in 1996.

The bad news is that only 44.6 percent of children with severe mental health problems received any professional assistance.

There is no single or simple reason why more than half of our kids with serious problems received no professional support. This may be due to a shortage of pediatric mental health specialists, parental financial issues, problems with getting off from work to attend sessions, or the refusal of kids to participate in therapy.

However, here are the top three reasons I’ve heard from parents.

  1. “I don’t know how to find a good therapist.” Many parents are confused about how to identify the appropriate professional needed by their children. Should they go to a counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, or social worker? How can you obtain information about the training and skill
Read More... “Why Aren’t You Getting Help for Your Child?”

Divorce: College Costs – A Ticking Time Bomb?

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Parents Facing A Divorce Grapple With College Costs For Their Child

divorce college ohioOn September 5th, we posted a blog article about the necessity to be clear and precise in your divorce or dissolution documents if you chose to include a college expense provision.  Truthfully, since my two sons have already graduated from college, I have not paid close attention to these escalating costs.

I recently saw a very interesting article in the online version of the Dayton Daily News addressing the increasing cost of a college education throughout Ohio and particularly the increasing costs of the room and board portion.  That article also referred to a very interesting chart from the U.S. Department of Education (which I have a link to below) showing a breakdown of the present room, board and tuition costs at most Ohio college and universities.  Those costs are staggering! Nearly every college or university in Ohio saw an increase in room and board rates of nearly 30% between 2002 and 2015.

Having handled divorce cases for over 34 years, I see parents fighting over some petty and nominal costs yet agreeing to divide future … Read More... “Divorce: College Costs – A Ticking Time Bomb?”

Kim Davis: Adherence to Moral Conscience or Violations of the Law?

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Will The Law Protect Clerk Kim Davis and Her Refusal To Issue Marriage Licenses For Same-Sex Couples?

kim davis same-sex marriageNo doubt, in the last few weeks or so, you’ve encountered the name Kim Davis in conversation around the water cooler or dinner table.  It is also of little doubt that you’ve confronted staunch opinions regarding the Kentucky clerk of court who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Various media outlets, as well as some individual social media enthusiasts, compare Kim Davis to Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King, Jr. – an outspoken activist of her time, doing what she believes is right to uphold her moral duty to God and her conscience.  Others, particularly those same-sex couples seeking a marriage license, find fault in Kim Davis’ failure to adhere to the oath of office she took when she secured her position as clerk of courts.

Still, this did not keep U.S. District Judge David Bunning from jailing Kim Davis and holding her in contempt of court after investigating her argument that her “conscience will not allow” her to comply with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling legalizing gay … Read More... “Kim Davis: Adherence to Moral Conscience or Violations of the Law?”

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