Background

​​​​Increasing numbers of children grow up with joint physical custody and shared residence (växelvis boende) between parents’ homes after parental separation.

Swedish and international studies of school children and adolescents with shared residence are encouraging regarding their psychological wellbeing, however much less is known about younger children’s development of emotional security and adjustment in this living arrangement. As the foundations of children’s emotional security are established during infancy and early childhood, and the impact on psychological adjustment is lifelong, this knowledge gap is important to address.

The Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC; 2020)

The Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC; 2020) emphasizes:

1. children’s right to both parents;
2. the importance of both parents’ involvement in the child’s development and education; and
3. that the child’s best interests must have priority in all decisions regarding the child.

However, what actually constitutes the child’s best interests after parental separation at early stages of development is unclear, and decisions are often based on beliefs or convictions, rather than evidence.

The current project aims to provide scientific basis for family policy by filling the knowledge gap regarding the development of attachment security and socioemotional adjustment in children with onset of shared residence early on.

The project is currently financed by the Swedish Research Council (2019-02787/PI Psouni), the Crafoord Foundation (2019-1024/PI Psouni).