Two cases of suspected sexual abuse of five-year-old children with syphilis are reported. Lack of confirmation of abuse by either child or in parental interviews led to closing of the cases by Child Protection Services and continued residence by the children in their original homes. (DB)

Discusses child custody issues in legal practice which conflict with the child's need for security. Issues include: 1) modification of child custody decrees; 2) grandparent visitation legislation; and 3) protection of the custodial parent-child unit. (RJC)

Increasingly, unwed black fathers are taking responsibility for their children's care while fulfilling their roles as college students. Localities and institutions are offering more programs of day care and referral to school and social services to provide support to these fathers. (MSE)

The study examining records of 370 children seen by a Child Protection Service Unit found 41 (11 percent) were involved in custody/access disputes. Of these cases 31 were females, sexual abuse was alleged for 34 and physical abuse for 7, and more than half were under 4 years of age. (DB)

Notes that mediation as problem-solving intervention in social work became widely used in child custody and divorce cases, child-parent conflicts, and family disputes. Argues that mediator role is inherent in social work, and examines context for and assumptions underlying it. Discusses nature of conflicts, issue of neutrality within social work…

Supplements existing body of literature on judicial bias against protective parents who allege sexual abuse in contested custody/visitation cases. Constructs a classification of case outcomes from 300 protective parent cases. Offers recommendations for changes in legislation to make family courts and child welfare agencies more responsive to needs…

Draws from research on custody planning with HIV-infected parents, from clinical literature and experience, and from a training curriculum for child welfare workers developed and implemented by the author. Presents practical applications of the lessons learned about custody planning with HIV-involved families who are also involved with the state…

Reviews issues involved when grandparents seek custody of or visitation rights regarding their grandchildren, social services available to custodial grandparents, and educational needs for dealing with the legal system and child rearing. (SK)

Objective: The 1998 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-98) is the first national study to document the rate of intentionally false allegations of abuse and neglect investigated by child welfare services in Canada. This paper provides a detailed summary of the characteristics associated with intentionally false…

Joint custody and cooperative coparenting are often unsafe for women who leave violent partners. Although certain legal protections are available, more work is needed to understand and address abused women's needs in this context. This study provides divorce scholars and practitioners with information on the interface between separation/divorce…

This paper gives an overview of the situation of home education in Germany. The first results from a predominantly qualitative research project are presented. This combines participant observation, content analysis and qualitative interviews for a thorough sociological analysis of the German home education movement. Compulsory school attendance…

Contested child custody cases between divorcing parents provide a context in which particular ideologies of the family are articulated, reproduced, and legitimized in legal practices. The relationship between legal and extralegal categories was examined in a review of 32 divorce cases, 13 from family court and 19 from circuit court. Data came from…

This document is one of six discussion papers prepared for the Wisconsin Legislative Council's Special Committee on Crimes Against Children. The introduction explains the committee's task of conducting a thorough examination of state laws relating to crimes against children, reviewing major policy issues affecting those laws to determine whether…

Many states are adopting joint custody legislation to support continued relationships between children of parental divorce and both of their biological parents. This study examined the effects of joint versus maternal legal custody, whether or not the stepfather had biological children from a prior marriage, and the sex and age of an adolescent on…

Addresses the issue of whether a school counselor, with good reason, may contact a noncustodial parent to share information without notifying the custodial parent. Presents an actual case including a statement of facts, the issues, and a conclusion. (ABB)