Family mediation : facts, myths, and future prospects / Connie J.A. Beck and Bruce D. Sales.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Beck, Connie J.

Contributor:

Sales, Bruce Dennis.

Series:

Law and public policy

The law and public policy

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Family mediation--United States.

Family mediation.

Divorce mediation--United States.

Divorce mediation.

United States.

Family psychotherapy.

Physical Description:

ix, 249 pages ; 27 cm.

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : American Psychological Association, [2001]

Summary:

In Family Mediation: Facts, Myths, and Future Prospects, Connie J. A. Beck and Bruce D. Sales trace the development of the field as well as current mediation practices and take a hard look at the consequences for families and the legal system. For families enduring divorce, it is presumed that mediating support, custody, and visitation issues is quicker, less expensive, and less painful than battling in court. But how valid are the claims of mediation's wide-ranging benefits? Borrowing from the experiences and methods of psychotherapy research, the authors offer an engaging, highly informative critique of family mediation practice and research to reveal the intricacies, inadequacies, and situations in which mediation is most effective. Legal and mental health scholars involved with families in divorce will gain a clear understanding of the substantial research needs and opportunities in the field and their implications for social policies.

Contents:

I. Divorce Mediation Practice and Scholarship 1

Chapter 1. An Introduction to Divorce Mediation 3

Chapter 2. Methodological Limits in Mediation Research 21

II. Assessing the Goals and Benefits of the Mediation Process 25

Chapter 3. Full Discussion of Concerns 27

Chapter 4. A Neutral Third Party as Mediator 41

Chapter 5. Reduced Adversarialness and Emotional Stability of Parents 57

Chapter 6. Increased Satisfaction of Disputants With Legal Procedures and Outcomes 77

Chapter 7. Increased Compliance With Court Orders 91

Chapter 8. Decreased Divorce Processing Costs 99

III. New Directions for Mediation Research and Theory to Inform Policy and Practice 123

Chapter 9. Future Mediation Research 125

Chapter 10. Current Mediation Theory 167

Chapter 11. Future Mediation Theory 181.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-232) and indexes.

ISBN:

1557987483

OCLC:

45419930