Joint custody exists as a popular custody option today, with parents across the nation opting for it despite the differences in their unique situations.
What benefits does joint custody offer, exactly? How can it potentially help children of divorce in the years following the split?
Speculations of support
Psychology Today talks about the benefits that joint custody may offer to families. Joint custody offers something unique in the form of continued support from a two-parent household, even after the divorce finalizes.
This often provides immense relief for children, whose fears tend to focus on destabilization and uncertainties in the future. If they can at least rely on the fact that both of their parents will have a continued presence in their life, it goes a long way to help with any other insecurities they may feel.
What do studies show?
Joint custody studies show that children in this custody situation tend to have fewer reported cases of mental health issues like anxiety and depression in the years following the divorce, too. Again, speculations point to the increase in stability and certainty as a guiding factor here.
Studies also indicate that these children have an easier time forming healthy coping mechanisms. They seem less likely to get addicted to things like drinking or gambling as adults. As children, they lash out less toward their peers and do not get into as much trouble with figures of authority.
While joint custody does not work for everyone, it serves as a beneficial option for those who can get it to work for them. It could benefit children for years after the divorce.