Individualization, family transitions and children's agency

Family transitions such as parental separation and divorce create the necessity for individual decisions, e.g. regarding parental custody and the children's residence arrangements or regarding visiting access with the non-custodial parent. The present longitudinal study of 62 children is based on interviews with members of divorced families, including the children. and on the analysis of child psychiatric custody reports and legal files. A second follow-up survey was also conducted. The study examined the child's attachment and relationship preferences and residence wishes as a custody decision criterion and the child's agency in custody decision-making and family transitions. The article argues in favour of constituting by law the child's attachments and residence wishes as custody criterion for children of any age and for establishing appropriate social and legal contexts to enable and promote the child's agency in custody decisions and residence changes.