Title : Family systems mediation
Abstract:
When separated parents are in dispute over their children, they tend to see their children as objects of parental possession and control. Children are left on the side-lines in parental battles. Well-known approaches to mediation, such as Structured, Transformative and Narrative Mediation, focus on adult perspectives and adult claims, with little reference to children. In contrast, a family systems approach seeks to understand connections between family members, including children and young people, assisting them to communicate and agree arrangements without going to court. Research in the UK and other countries, including Argentina, Australia and Norway, shows that arrangements worked out by families themselves work better in practice and last longer than orders made by the court (Barlow A and Ewing J Children’s voices, family disputes and child-inclusive mediation:The right to be heard Bristol University Press 2024). Children are subjects of legal rights who should be able to express their views, if they wish, and have them given due weight, according to the child's age and maturity (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989). Participating in mediation helps children and young people to feel respected and valued, without being asked for choices or given responsibility for decisions (Family Solutions Group What About Me? A Child's Right to Matter, November 2023).
