Re-unification?

["Thomas R. Chibucos" <tchibuc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I don't recall a specific reference for this right now, but I believe that
such a blanket statement is not empirically supportable.

Variables that exacerbate or attenuate the psychological effects of
re-uniting parents and children are many, and include: type and degree of
abuse/neglect; age of child; duration of abuse/neglect; spousal/significant
other complicity or lack of complicity; and availability of competent
family intervention/support to change behavior.

There may be--I am sure there are--numerous opinion pieces on this both by
experienced professionals and by laypersons.  But, empirical support?  I
don't think so.

Perhaps one might want to ask: When is it harmful (if it is) to children to
re-unite them with parents who have abused/neglected them and when is it
not harmful (if it isn't)?

At 01:21 PM 6/8/00 -0400, you wrote:
>I am in urgent need of peer-review studies that state that it is
>psychologically harmful to a child to re-unite them with an abusive parent
>or parents.
>
>If you have any information, it would be very helpful.  If you have any web
>links that can take me to the studies that would be even more helpful.  I
>need this info yesterday!
>
>Thanks.
>
>Portia A Davis, Executive Director
>The Ross County Network For Children
>http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Village/3648/
>
>
*****************************************************************
Views expressed are mine alone, unless otherwise noted.
*****************************************************************
Thomas R. Chibucos, Ph.D.
Professor, Human Development and Family Studies
Director, School of Family and Consumer Sciences
217 Johnston Hall
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH  43403-0254    Phone: (419) 372-7823    FAX: (419) 372-7854
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/edhd/FCS/